Beyond One Lifetime
by Shantel Lukasik
Summary: Rachel disappeared with Five, leaving behind everything she knew. 45 years later, she returns with with a lifetime worth of wisdom and experience, but now in her thirteen year old body. With the goal of helping Five, as she always has, Rachel seeks to make the best of where she is, where she has been, and where she will be after her journey with the Hargreeves family.
1. Prologue

Excerpt from Chapter Five of _Extra-Ordinary: My Life as Number Seven_ by Vanya Hargreeves:

"_I once had a best friend. For a short, but memorable amount of time I had someone to share my insecurities and feelings of isolation._

_Rachel Truesdale made me feel less alone in this world for the short time she was in my life. I met her at the age of five when her parents brought her to my father in a panic. Mr. Erik Truesdale was a scientist and, it seemed to me, a man after my father's own heart. Their obsession with the super powers of children brought them together due to Mr. Truesdale's scientific interests. Rachel was an unfortunate victim of her own father's experiment, a project my father was fully aware of and funded. Mr. Truesdale tested a serum to create more students for the academy, using his own daughter as a vessel for testing. On all accounts, she was a success. But her father's serum, was not. After a few days of manifesting a power, Rachel came to the brink of death, her body rejecting the serum that began to burn away and change her DNA. My father was able to save her, in a way that is a mystery to this day, but that led to health complications throughout her childhood. This previously healthy young girl became prone to seizures and anxiety. During her anxiety attacks, it became difficult for her to breathe until someone would distract her and calm her down. _

_Somehow, these developments never took from her personality and general pleasantness. She just had one of those infectious personalities. When she was happy, so were those around her. When she was sad and worried, everyone else felt some degree of melancholy. Though my father offered her parents to keep her at the academy, they insisted she stay at home with them, but could be a part of the academy as far as education, training, and crime-fighting were concerned. Mr. Truesdale gave up on his scientific research, hoping to never harm any child like he had harmed his daughter._

_Rachel, the sweet angel that she was, frequently escaped from the others to spend time with me in my loneliness. She may have been the only person in existence to not fear my father and his anger. It also helped that she could sense him coming from a mile away. Literally. The powers the serum granted her allowed her to sense the emotions and intent a person held in their hearts. She could find and pinpoint anyone within a mile radius with true criminal intent. If any of these bad emotions weighed on her, she never said. Her ability to shut the emotions out was truly convenient and something that Klaus was very jealous of. He once joked that he should take the serum and see if it allowed him to turn off his power. Either way, her desire to spend time with me in my loneliness was welcome and I loved her dearly, like another sister._

_Her relationships with my siblings were varied. Luther paid her no mind, unsurprising as he only had eyes for Allison. Allison treated her like another sister. Diego had quite the crush on her, as she was as patient with him through his stuttering as Mom was. Klaus and Rachel got along well enough, but his jealousy got in the way of them being quick friends. He only began to warm up to her after the age of ten. Five teased her mercilessly. Picking on her and scaring her by popping out of nowhere were some of his favorite pastimes. Ben got along with her well from the beginning…until her disappearance._

_On the same day that Number Five disappeared from our lives, and maybe even our time, my best friend disappeared. Due to it being the same day, many questioned the idea that Rachel and Five actually ran away together. Under questioning of their strained relationship, people would answer that kids were always mean to those they liked, and girls liked mean boys. Even as a thirteen-year-old, I was skeptical about how easily people accepted these ideas. They were ridiculous. As far as I knew, Rachel had no interest in any of my brothers and the one who cared for her the most was left devastated in her absence. My belief is that pure coincidence played a part. No trace was left of either. Five had left our meal in anger and Rachel had last been seen on her way to the academy. Kidnapping could be an answer, but after seventeen years…it is fair to say I'll never know what truly happened to my dearest friend._

_As far as her pare-"_


	2. Chapter 1

Rachel pushed herself through the hole Five had created. How he suddenly felt like his formula was correct this time after so many years was beyond her. As she struggled through, she began to free fall, unceremoniously landing on dirt and leaves. Groaning, she glanced over to see Five slowly getting up, except he wasn't how she had last seen him. Most recently he'd been a well-dressed 58-year-old man with completely white hair and a matching mustache. The Five beside her was his 13-year-old self. His slim build and shorter height caused the suit he was wearing to swallow him. His hair was once again a dark brown color. Looking down at herself as she got to her feet, Rachel became aware that her mint green pencil dress was a few sizes too big, one side falling off her shoulder. Additionally, her hair was back to her youthful shoulder length pale blonde, her skin a sickly white as if the sun barely touched her. She noticed Five's focus was in front of him, so she looked ahead as well.

Before them stood five individuals who looked at them in shock, two women and three men. One man was incredibly muscular, the two other men were dressed in head to toe black though one was wearing a skirt, one woman was beautiful with golden curled hair and dark skin, and the other was a pretty, mousy woman with dark brown hair. It was obvious on sight who they were as they stepped forward. It was the Hargreeves family, exactly how Rachel remembered them at a terrible time in her past and their future. The memory pained her like it was yesterday.

It was 45 years ago when Five and Rachel had been trapped in the future for a day so far. Some fires here and there were still going, proving that whatever happened was quite the ordeal. The two of them now had a mannequin Five named Dolores sitting with all their current resources in a little red wagon. Food was scarce, but a few things were still able to be salvaged from stores. The two of them were at the Hargreeves Academy. Five was doing this best to figure out what happened. Rachel wandered around the ruins trying to find signs of life or anything useful. She found a book that seemed to be written by Vanya. It was majorly damaged, but she held on to it anyway. When Rachel came back around toward the wagon, she noticed Five standing off in a far corner, his emotions both scared and sad. As she walked over to him, she noticed the dead bodies. They all looked vaguely familiar, making her heart sink into her stomach. Reaching Five, she looked at what he was. On the arm of the body back here was the Umbrella Academy tattoo that most of the kids shared.

She was brought out of her thoughts by someone speaking.

"Does anyone else see little Number Five and Rachel, or is that just me?" the man in the skirt asked.

"Shit," was Five's brilliant response as he looked down at himself.

"Five, you screwed up the formula somehow…" Rachel whined.

She dusted off her hands and dress before looking around. The courtyard looked dingier than she remembered, but she recognized it as the Academy where the Hargreeves were raised. A statue she did not remember was now in the space. It was of Ben who, she remembered from Vanya's book, had died. Those before her were definitely the other Hargreeves, Luther, Diego, Klaus, Allison, and Vanya. Unable to stop herself, Rachel ran forward and tackled Allison and Vanya in a hug. Though surprised, the woman hugged her back.

"I've missed you both so much," Rachel told her, pulling away after a moment," Look at you two, you're radiant."

Allison stared at her with wide eyes. Vanya let out a confused laugh.

"Uhm, thank you. I missed you, too…What-?"

"What just happened?" Luther demanded.

Rachel sighed and looked over at him. He certainly hadn't changed. Being Number One was still a complex for him. Five marched through the group at that point, heading for the door inside.

"I'm hungry."

Despite the confusion, everyone followed him to the kitchen where he began making a sandwich. Rachel fended off questions, insisting they wait for their sibling's explanation. They all sat or stood around the kitchen table watching Five as he moved around at the head of the table. Rachel leaned against it by the sandwich making station he had set up. Klaus sat cross-legged on the table, seemingly thinking. As he grabbed food, Five sighed.

"What's the date? The exact date," he questioned them.

"The 24th," Vanya responded.

"Of what?"

"March."

Five thought a beat before nodding.

"Good."

"So, are we gonna talk about what just happened?" Luther asked.

Five made no move to explain, which made Rachel roll her eyes. If someone was going to explain, it needed to be him. Luther's patience was running thin. He stood up and moved toward them.

"It's been seventeen years," the big man stated aggressively.

Five looked over and scoffed at him.

"It's been a lot longer than that."

He then spacial jumped through his brother to search the shelves.

"I haven't missed that," Luther mumbled.

"Where'd you go?" Diego asked, arms crossed on the table.

"The future," he responded, jumping back to Rachel's side," It's shit, by the way."

"Called it," Klaus exclaimed.

"I should've listened to the old man," Five bemoaned searching the refrigerator this time," You know, jumping through space is one thing, jumping through time is a toss of the dice."

Rachel crossed her arms and leaned on the table.

"One he accidentally rolled with me in tow," she informed them with a sarcastic smile.

The Hargreeves, especially Vanya and Diego, were taken aback. The Rachel they remembered wasn't very sarcastic, she was meeker and sweeter. Rachel knew Vanya hadn't believed her and Five had disappeared together, but she wondered if Diego had also been against that idea as well.

Five paused, looking at Klaus who was directly in front of him.

"Nice dress," he commented.

Klaus looked down at his skirt and then back up with a bit of a smile.

"Oh, well, danke!"

"Wait," Vanya jumped in," how did you get back?"

Five looked bored as he responded.

"In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time."

The group was silent for a moment before Diego spoke on behalf of them all.

"That makes no sense."

"Well, it would if you were smarter."

Diego go to his feet to strangle his brother, but Luther held him back.

"How long were you there?" Luther asked.

"Forty-five years. Give or take."

Rachel nodded in agreement. Luther sat back down as they all looked at the two of them in shock.

"So, what are you saying? That you're both fifty-eight?" Luther questioned.

Five smirked.

"No, my consciousness is fifty-eight. Apparently, my body is now thirteen again."

It was at that point that he finished making his peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich and began eating it, turning away from the group.

"Wait, how does that even work?" Vanya asked.

"Dolores kept saying the equations were off. Eh," he said to himself," Bet she's laughing now."

Rachel rubbed her forehead.

"They were off…sort of. You didn't plan on us being teenagers again."

"Small detail," he responded, waving her comment off.

"Dolores?" Vanya questioned the two of them.

They both ignored her as Five picked up the newspaper lying on the table. The lead story read 'City Says Goodbye to Reginald Hargreeves.' A large picture of the Academy's deceased leader was on the front.

"Guess I missed the funeral," Five noted.

"How'd you know about that?" Luther demanded, suspicious.

"What part of the future do you not understand?" Five sassed back," Heart failure, huh?"

"Yeah," Diego responded.

"No," Luther insisted.

Rachel raised an eyebrow at them. Five made a face at their exchange.

"Nice to see nothing's changed," he quipped.

He then walked out of the kitchen.

"Oh, that's it? That's all you have to say?" Allison demanded.

"What else is there to say? The circle of life."

Klaus shrugged while Luther stared at the open peanut butter jar on the table.

"Well…that was interesting."

As they all turned to look a Rachel, she put her hands up before picking up the things Five left all over the place.

"Look, I've been stuck with him for forty-five years, I just need a break. Either of you young ladies still have a wardrobe here I can raid? Anything in size teenager?"

Vanya shook her head while Allison moved away from the table.

"Come on, I've probably got something."

Rachel felt a bit out of place in the clothes Allison gave her, but it was better than walking around in a dress that was too big. Especially one designed from the 1960s. She was now dressed in a bright blue skirt and a yellow top with an excessive amount of white strings. Allison had been a teen in the early 2000s. It really showed. Rachel was lucky her and Allison had the same shoe size back in the day as well, as she was able to borrow some black sneakers, too.

After changing, she headed down to the main sitting area of the Academy. On her way down, she ran into Diego who seemed to be waiting for her in the foyer.

"Hey, Diego. It's been a long time."

"Did you run away with him?"

Rachel couldn't help but heave a sigh. She should have known he would have asked her that question.

"No, it was purely accidentally. Go figure that grabbing at the jacket of someone who can jump through time can be…consequential. I'm sorry if us disappearing at the same time really…affected you. And the others."

Diego nodded before striding away from her.

"That's all I needed to know."

She watched him go, glad that she could put his mind at ease. Though she wasn't sensing, she had a feeling that he'd wondered for seventeen years whether he and his brother had actually liked the same girl, but only Five had the balls to run away with her.

In the sitting room, she found Five in one of his old Umbrella Academy uniforms. When he saw her, he snorted in amusement.

"I think I've been blinded," he teased.

"Says the guy in his childhood uniform," she sneered back.

Five scrunched up his nose as he looked down at his clothes.

"Yes, well, I didn't care about much outside these walls back then."

He turned as he talked and noticed a portrait of himself on the wall. Rachel moved over and stood beside him. It wasn't a bad likeness. The girl turned as she heard footsteps behind them. Vanya was carefully walking toward them. Five heard them too as he spoke.

"Nice to know Dad didn't forget me."

He turned to Vanya as well.

"Read your book, by the way. Found it in a library that was still standing."

He began to walk around her, looking around the room. Vanya looked at Rachel.

"Yeah, I read it, too. Eventually. The first copy I found was damaged. Five also almost stopped reading it to me at one point…"

Five cut in abruptly.

"I thought it was pretty good, all things considered. Yeah, definitely ballsy, giving up the family secrets. Sure, that went over well."

"They hate me," Vanya responded.

"Oh, there are worse things that can happen."

"You mean like what happened to Ben?"

The room was silent. Rachel folded her arms across her chest. In 45 years alone together, Rachel learned there were few things that could shake Five. What they read about Ben had been one of the few.

"Was it bad?" he asked, softly.

Vanya just nodded in response. In the awkwardness, Vanya turned to Rachel.

"So…did you two…was it an accident or did you run off together?"

Rachel couldn't help but laugh at the thought.

"Vanya, don't doubt what you said in the book. You were right. It was pure coincidence..."


	3. Chapter 2

-45 Years Ago-

Rachel had just arrived on the street for training with the Umbrella Academy kids when the front door burst open. A perturbed Five almost smacked her in the face with the front gate.

"Five!" the girl protested.

Rachel ran after him. Reaching out, she grabbed his jacket just as everything around her changed to be sunnier. The clothes on those around her were bright colors from an older time. She let go of the boy's jacket.

"Not ready my ass," Five murmured to himself.

"Oh my God," Rachel said, looking around," Did you just time travel?"

Five, who had been looking around in amazement registered that an interloper had come with him. He heaved a sigh at her.

"Evidently. Why are you here?"

"I don't know! I just grabbed your jacket and suddenly we were in a new time."

Five seemed to think for a moment before grabbing her hand.

"Let's see when else we can travel to."

Rachel shook her head.

"Let's go back. Your father always said time travel can be tricky and he told you not to."

"But it worked! Stop being a sissy."

With a push, they were now getting snowed on. Rachel shivered from the wind and snow pelting her. They walked forward a bit before Five pushed through his powers again. Rachel and Five reeled back as they were surrounded by rubble this time, as if a bomb had gone off and blown up everything around them. The surrounding area was still on fire from whatever happened. Ash descended from the sky, covering them and everything around them. The two looked back toward the Academy before running back. Five took off ahead of her, but she was able to keep behind him. They stopped as the Academy before them was disintegrated.

"Vanya!" Five called," Ben! Dad! Anyone!"

Rachel looked around, her breaths becoming shorter and shorter. Her hand was grabbed roughly as Five tried to push them back to the time they came from. For some reason, he was unable to get them back.

"Come on!" he shouted, in desperation.

It wasn't working no matter how hard he tried.

"Shit," he hissed.

He fell to his knees in front of the obliterated home. Rachel held herself in her arms, trying to fight the anxiety attack that was coming on. She squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out what was going on around her. Yet she could still hear the crackling of flames and feel the ash brushing her face. The surrounding space was hot, uncomfortably so. She squatted down, hugging her knees.

"This isn't real," she whispered, tears leaking from her tightly shut eyes," This isn't-"

Her throat closed up on her and she began shuddering and sobbing, barely able to breathe. As she began gasping through the sobs, she felt arms around her. She was tugged to sit comfortably on the ground, her left leg resting fully against the ground. Opening her eyes, she could only see Five's white collared shirt and sweater vest.

"Breathe," he reminded her softly," You have to breathe. You aren't alone. I'll figure this out. You just need to breathe. I'm right here."

Rachel did her best to take shuddering breaths, leaning into Five's words of comfort. _He'll figure it out. He'll take us back. _She did her best to convince herself of these thoughts. After a few minutes, she was able to look up at Five. Unlike his usually smug self, his eyes held back tears and he looked just as scared as she felt. Feeling guilty for forcing him to focus on her, she hugged him. He didn't say anything as they sat on the ground in each other's arms, not sure of what to do.

-Present Day-

Vanya was going to ask them more questions when Luther leaned in through the door.

"Hey, we're…uh…going to send off Dad. Come to the courtyard."

The three followed him out. As it had started raining, umbrellas were passed around. Diego and Luther opted out, Klaus had a clear umbrella with a pink border, while everyone else had a black one. Luther carried the urn with Reginald Hargreeves' ashes. Grace, the robot mother of the Hargreeves, looked around at them as they stood outside.

"Did something happen?" she asked.

Most of the group frowned at her in concern. From Rachel's right, Klaus pulled out a cigarette to smoke.

"Dad died. Remember?" Allison reminded her.

"Oh," Grace's smile fell," Yes, of course."

"Is Mom okay?" Allison questioned Diego.

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine. She just needs to rest. You know, recharge."

Pogo, the practically human monkey butler, came up to them at that point, having come from a side door. Rachel leaned toward Five.

"Should I really be here? This seems like it should just be for family."

"Like it matters," Five replies.

Klaus chuckled, having heard her.

"You were with us every day, so you're basically extended family. We certainly argued enough back in the day and you might have married Diego if Five hadn't whisked you away."

Rachel shook off the thought of what might have been if she hadn't gone into the future. She'd been down that road enough times in the past. Five glanced over at her with concern. She gave him a quick grin and shook her head.

"Whenever you're ready, dear boy," they heard Pogo tell Luther.

Number One carefully opened the urn and upturned it. The ashes fell into a pile in the middle of the courtyard. Rachel bit the corner of her lip as they all stared at the pile.

"Probably would've been better with some wind," Luther noted.

Rachel bit down harder to keep from smiling.

"Does anyone wish to speak?" Pogo asked.

There was a resounding silence. Sir Reginald Hargreeves had never been one of Rachel's favorite people. He'd never treated her as anything more than an addition to the ranks for crime-fighting. She as a person never interested him, but her given powers had. For that, she had no real affection for the man. Pogo looked around at all of them before nodding, understanding he would have to speak.

"Very well. In all regards, Sir Reginald Hargreeves made me what I am today. For that alone, I shall forever be in his debt. He was my master…and my friend, and I shall miss him very much. He leaves behind a complicated legacy—"

"He was a monster."

Everyone turned to Diego at his outburst. Klaus laughed, breathing a cloud of smoke into Rachel's face. She coughed slightly, waving it away.

"He was a bad person and a worse father," Diego continued," The world's better off without him."

"Diego," Allison admonished.

"My name is Number Two," he said, ignoring her," You know why? Because our father couldn't be bothered to give us actual names. He had Mom do it."

Rachel scratched her cheek awkwardly. She had heard that they had all gotten their names only a year before she met them. From ages one to four, they had just been numbers. Five had clarified that it had never really bothered him, not truly feeling like his name was a rank. That was why he used it for his own identity. It was clearly a sore topic for some, if not all, of the others.

"Would anyone like something to eat?" Grace asked.

"No, it's okay, Mom," Vanya told her, kindly.

"Oh, okay."

"Look," Diego went on," You wanna pay your respects? Go ahead. But at least be honest about the kind of man he was."

"You should stop talking now," Luther told his brother, stepping toward him.

The two glared at each other. Rachel inhaled deeply. Their relationship obviously got no better over the years. She wasn't sensing for emotions, but she knew they must feel exactly as it did in the past when they butt heads. Both boiling and burning, ready to burst. So much anger.

"You know, you of all people should be on my side here, Number One."

"I am warning you."

"After everything he did to you? He had to ship you a million miles away."

"Diego, stop talking."

"That's how much he couldn't stand the sight of you!"

And then punches were being thrown. Pogo tried to get them to stop, but when those two got fighting, nothing would stop them. The group all stepped back from the fight. Klaus put a hand in front of both Five and Rachel, as Five did the same thing to just Rachel before waving off Klaus's protective arm. Rachel just rolled her eyes.

"Stop it!" Vanya shouted.

"Hit him! Hit him!" Klaus cheered, making Five smirk.

Klaus eventually moved up to stand on the edge of the garden to see the fight as it progressed around the courtyard.

"We don't have time for this," Five said, turning to go back into the house.

Rachel was about to say something in response when Five grabbed her upper arm and they both spacial jumped into the house. She made a sound of indignation before closing the umbrella and leaning it in the corner. He had brought them into the foyer. After Five abandoned his umbrella, he walked off toward his room.

"Five, why haven't you told them everything yet?"

He glanced back at her before continuing on his way, knowing she'd follow.

"I think that fight out there is proof they can't handle it right now. Besides, we can figure this out on our own for now."

"Oh, is it still we? I don't see how helpful reading emotions can be in stopping the apocalypse. Not that I don't want to help."

Five shrugged.

"You never know. Better to have you around then not. Besides, you know they'll send people after us. You're safer as long it is 'we' and not 'you.'"

Rachel knew he was right, so she didn't say anything. Reaching his room, she stopped in the doorway.

"Are you going to go get Dolores?"

Five paused in his movement across the room. He looked back at her and moved toward her.

"That tone sounded like you disagree with the idea…"

The girl sighed.

"Sorry if my tone was negative. I just don't think she'll be of much help.

She could tell he was irritated. Not because she could sense emotion. She'd promised Five a long time ago not to use her power on him. He narrowed his eyes at her and clenched his jaw, making it obvious.

"I'm not having this conversation for the millionth time, Rachel."

The girl threw her hands up in defeat.

"I know you'll do whatever you want. I'll meet up with you later."

Five frowned at her.

"Where are you going?"

Ignoring him, she turned to head down the hallway. She took only two steps before Five appeared in front of her, causing her to crash into him.

"Shit, Five!"

The boy grabbed her upper arms, looking at her seriously.

"Is this about your parents?" he told her quietly," You don't need confirmation about what was in Vanya's book."

Rachel looked up into his eyes.

"It's my fault," she told him pleadingly," This is my only chance to…to see them…to make sure for myself."

"It wasn't your fault."

His words were hard, adamant. Rachel smiled and reached a hand up to his cheek. She caressed it gently.

"It definitely wasn't yours," she insisted.

After a moment, Five took her wrist and moved her hand away from his face. Stepping back, he pulled her into his room.

"You're staying with me and we'll put visiting them on the list of things to do _together_."

Knowing there was no way she was going to win against someone who could jump through space, Rachel sat on Five's bed and waited for him to go over this list.


	4. Chapter 3

It was about an hour later that Five decided he needed coffee. They found Klaus strumming an electric guitar in the kitchen. He sat oddly in a chair at the head of the table, his black boots at the other end of the table from him.

"Hello, there," he said, smiling at them.

Rachel could tell Klaus had let himself go a bit more over the years. He had already been finding drugs by the age of thirteen, so she could imagine how far gone he would have gotten in seventeen years. Rachel sat on the table, her feet resting on the chair just beside Klaus. Five went to search the shelves for his desired caffeine. Klaus looked up at her, surprised to find her smiling at him.

"I wondered if you ever had any more luck with your powers."

He let out a quiet laugh.

"Drugs are the best at shutting it all out, so no. It feels so good to be...numb. But it's nice to know you were thinking of me all those years."

He had meant it sarcastically, but Rachel put a hand on his shoulder.

"You were my friend. Of course, I thought about you."

Klaus looked away, as if her sincerity was too bright to look at. Here he had been thinking she'd abandoned all her soft edges after being stuck with Five. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"Well, you're nice. Nicer than the rest of them, for sure."

The two glanced over as Allison came slowly into the kitchen and placed a black jacket of hers on a chair.

"Where's Vanya?" she asked.

"Oh, she's gone," Klaus told her.

Five walked over with a tin.

"That's unfortunate," he said.

"Yeah," Allison agreed.

"An entire square block. Forty-two bedrooms, nineteen bathrooms, but no, not a single drop of coffee," Five clarified, putting the tin down on the table by Rachel.

Rachel and Klaus exchanged an amused look.

"Dad hated caffeine," Allison reminded him.

"Well, he hated children, too, and he had plenty of us," Klaus noted with a laugh.

"I'm taking the car," Five informed them, heading out of the room," Come on, Rachel."

The girl slid of the table with a heavy sigh.

"Where are you going?" Klaus asked in surprise.

Five turned and gave him a look that read how stupid he felt everyone else was aside from himself.

"To get a decent cup of coffee."

"Do you even know how to drive?" Allison questioned.

"I know how to do everything."

Rachel laughed and looked at Five's siblings.

"You can tell he never learned to be humble in forty-five years."

After saying that, she felt the familiar pressure of a hand on her arm before she was standing outside the Academy. Before her was Reginald Hargreeves' car. Too tired to quibble over it, Rachel got into the passenger seat as Five grabbed the key before getting into the driver's seat. They didn't go far as Five stopped them outside Griddy's Doughnuts. The shop had been standing for years with its yellow and orange sign. What was newer was a neon sign of a coffee mug above the building. It was nice to see it was still going.

"Your driving skills still leave much to be desired," Rachel teased, looking over at Five.

"Liar. Let's go."

Five practically ran inside for coffee. Rachel took her leisurely time. The little shop was practically empty. As Five went in, one person came out. She thanked the man for holding the door for her, knowing that her companion had not. Outside, another man was making his way inside from his truck. Five rang the bell just as the man got in and Rachel took her seat on Five's right. The man sat down by Five with one seat between them. He pulled out a magazine and started writing on it, doing a crossword puzzle.

The waitress soon came out. She was a skinny, middle aged woman. Her blonde hair was tied up and she wore a bright pink uniform.

"Sorry, sink was clogged. So, what'll it be?" she asked.

Unsurprisingly, she looked at the one person in the room who looked like an adult.

"Uh, give me a chocolate éclair," the man told her.

"Mm-hmm. Sure. Can I get the kids glasses of milk or something?"

Five scoffed.

"The kid wants coffee. Black."

The woman gave an awkward smile and looked over at the man.

"Cute kid."

Five gave her a huge fake smile. Rachel just grinned and looked over at the woman.

"I'm good, thank you."

The woman awkwardly moved off to get the requested items. While waiting, Five looked around.

"Don't remember this place being such a shithole," he said to the man, "I used to come here as a kid. Used to sneak out with my brothers and sisters and eat doughnuts till we puked. Simpler times, huh?"

"Eh. I suppose," the man replied with confusion.

The waitress returned with the pastry and coffee. The man paid for Five's drink.

"Thanks," he told the man.

Rachel noticed him eyeing the man's jacket. On it was labeled a towing company.

"You must know your way around the city," Five conversed.

"I hope so. I've been driving it for twenty years."

"Good. I need an address."

Rachel rolled her eyes hard as he asked for the department store location for Dolores among other places. Shortly after the man finished his pastry, he wished the two of them a good night before leaving. Rachel leaned her elbows on the table. She was going to open her mouth when the front door opened again. Rachel glanced back to see six individuals dressed in black filing in with guns trained on the two of them.

"They're here," she sighed at Five.

Five looked through the bell on the counter to see who she was talking about.

"Hmm. That was fast," he said as they pointed guns at the two of them," I thought we'd have more time before they found us."

"Okay," the leader of the team said," So let's all be professional about this, yeah? On your feet and come with us. They want to talk."

"I've got nothing to say," Five told him," How about you, Rach?"

She shrugged at the man.

"Where he goes, I go, so…"

"It doesn't have to go this way," the man warned them," You think I want to shoot a pair of kids? Go home with that on my conscience?"

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that," Five responded casually," You won't be going home."

Five reached out for the butter knife near him before jumping behind the man and stabbing him in the neck. The man's gun fired as the entire placed turned into chaos of guns firing, Five jumping, and men dying. When Five had moved, Rachel dove around the edge of the counter to avoid the initial bullets. After the man closest to her fell to the ground from gunshot wounds, Rachel pulled on his gun, causing the strap to choke him to death. Pulling the gun off his corpse, she turned and shot another man by the door. By the time she turned for another target, Five was outside the restaurant, taunting the men inside. In the blink of an eye, he took out the rest and pulled his necktie off one man he strangled with it. He put it back on and straightened his outfit. Rachel leaned down and snapped the neck of the man Five had stabbed with the butter knife. Grabbing the device that was tracking them, she huffed and put a hand on her hip.

"Your powers really give you an unfair advantage," she told her partner, standing up.

Five smoothed out his clothes.

"You still got half of them, so be content with that. Any more of them and I would have told you to hide until it was over."

The girl rolled her eyes at him before handing him the device.

"These trackers need to go," Rachel informed him.

Five found some steak knives behind the counter. Unpleasantly, Five cut into Rachel's arm first, pulling out the tracker. Rachel then did the same for him. Five cut off the bottom half of shit shirt to make bandages for them. As they left, Five dropped them out in the parking lot as they made their way to the car.

"So, where to now?" she asked, slumping into the car.

She watched as the cloth around her arm soaked with blood. She looked over at Five trying to ignore the pain.

"Vanya's."

She was actually surprised by that answer but considering that the two of them now had knife wounds in their arms with only cloths for bandages, it made sense. They actually reached the woman's apartment before she even got home. It was a quaint little one-bedroom apartment. Vanya had her music corner near the windows, a fireplace with small bits of décor on it, and a small couch, chair, and coffee table in the living room. She had a small kitchen, small bathroom, and her bedroom. As Rachel examined the fireplace, Five checked the windows and scoffed.

"No locks," he muttered.

Rachel let out a laugh.

"You're such an old man."

"What? You disagree?"

"Well, no…"

"See? Who is the old one now?"

As Five took a seat on the living room chair, Rachel moved to sit on the chair arm. Before anything else could be said, they heard the jingle of keys in the lock. Vanya was certainly taken aback to find them sitting in her living room. Especially since Five turned on her lamp just as she was reaching for the main light switch.

"Jesus!" she exclaimed, seeing Five in her armchair and Rachel sitting on the chair arm.

"You should have locks on your windows," Five informed her.

"I live on the second floor," Vanya noted.

"Rapists can climb."

Rachel scowled at him.

"That's how you're going to phrase that?"

"You are so weird," his sister told him as she closed the door.

She took off her jacket before sitting on her couch. As she sat, she seemed to realize that the two of them had been in a scuffle of sorts.

"Is that blood?"

Rachel moved to sit beside Vanya. Rachel couldn't hide her arm without a jacket, so the wound was just out there for her to see. While Five hid his with his jacket, he still had blood on his shirt collar.

"It's nothing," he told her.

"Speak for yourself," Rachel hissed as she moved her arm.

"Why are you here?" Vanya asked them.

"I've decided you're the only one I can trust," he told her.

Vanya glanced at Rachel who just gave her a smile.

"Why me?"

"Because you're ordinary. Because you'll listen."

Vanya agreed and went to her bathroom to grab first aid items. As Vanya attended to Five, Rachel worked on her own arm. As the women worked on the wounds, Five looked at his sister.

"When I jumped forward and got us stuck in the future, do you know what we found?"

"No."

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. As far as we could tell, we were the last people left alive. We never figured out what killed the human race, but…I did find something else. The date it happens. The world ends in eight days, and I have no idea how to stop it."

Vanya stared between the two of them, her jaw slack.

"I'll put on a pot of coffee."

After she did that, she sat back down for Five to continue, now he just had a coffee in hand. Rachel sipped at her own quietly.

"We survived off scraps. Canned food, cockroaches, anything we could find. You know that rumor that Twinkies have an endless shelf life? Well, it's total bullshit."

"I can't even imagine."

"You do whatever it takes to survive, or you die. So, we adapted. Whatever the world threw at us, we found a way to overcome it. You got anything stronger?"

Rachel and Five followed as Vanya went to get her alcohol. After giving Five his small glass, she watched as he took a sip.

"You think we're crazy," he said, registering her blank face.

"No. It's just…it's a lot to take in."

"Exactly what don't you understand?"

"Why didn't you just time travel back?"

Five pretended like it was a novel idea.

"Gee, wish I'd thought of that. Time travel is a crapshoot. I went into the ice and never acorn-ed. You think I didn't try everything to get back to my family? You think I didn't try everything to get Rachel back to _her_ family?"

At that, Rachel bit her lip and looked down at her feet awkwardly. That hit Vanya as well, as she knew what happened to Rachel's parents after the girl disappeared, yet it wasn't quite enough.

"If you grew old there, you know, in the apocalypse, how come you still look like a kid?" the woman questioned.

Five shook his head.

"I told you already."

He moved to the counter by the alcohol, smacking the cup against the counter. He grabbed the bottle. He began to pour more into his glass.

"I must have got the equations wrong."

"I mean, Dad always used to say that…time travel could mess up your mind. Well, maybe that's what's happening?"

Rachel let out a breath that time.

"So, me, too? I'm crazy because he accidently brought me with him. Vanya, I always thought you were smarter than the others. Come on…"

Five sighed.

"This was a mistake. You're too young…too naïve to understand."

Putting down the glass, Five grabbed the car keys and Rachel. Vanya called out to them.

"No. Five…Rachel, wait."

Five paused at the door so they both turned to look at her.

"I haven't seen you both in a long time, and I don't want to lose you again. That's all. And you know what, it's getting late, and…I have lessons early, and I need to sleep, and I'm sure you do, too. Here."

Vanya went over to the couch and pulled two blankets off the back. Looking back at them, she looked up at Rachel. Before she could say anything, Rachel shook her head.

"I'll sleep in the armchair. It's fine. You take your bed."

Vanya hesitated, but could see that Rachel wasn't going to change her mind.

"We'll talk in the morning again. Okay? I promise."

She then walked past them, wishing them good night. They responded in kind. When she closed the door, Five took a seat on the couch. He pulled the glass eye he kept in his pocket out, examining it. Rachel sat beside him.

"You want to go and find this place in the middle of the night?"

Five looked up at her.

"We don't have time. You can stay here if you want, but-"

"We're a team," she cut him off," Even if you are able to deal with everything yourself most of the time, it isn't a bad thing to have back up."

Five nodded in agreement.

"Fair point. Let's go then."

With that, the two of them quietly snuck out of Vanya's apartment.


	5. Chapter 4

-Post Apocalypse: One Year-

It was a scalding day. Five and Rachel were dressed in gear to fight off the suns heat, but that also meant they were drowning in sweat. Rachel glanced back at Dolores in her little red wagon.

"How about we trade places? I'll ride for a little bit."

Five glowered at her.

"You have two legs, use them."

The girl frowned at him. For a year, the girl put up with his rudeness. He'd always been sarcastic and a bit mean, but since getting trapped in the future he'd gotten worse. Rachel was patient and not one to snap, but she could feel her last nerve fraying.

"I was kidding. You're not the only one who can talk to Dolores, you know. She _likes_ having a female to talk to occasionally."

Five was either too tired to protest or agreed with her, either way she was content with that. As they continued on, looking for anything they could salvage or a safe place to rest for a bit, Rachel reached out for the wagon.

"Here, Five, let me pull it for a bit. You should have a break."

He swatted her hand away.

"I'm fine. You'll just tip it over or something and make more trouble than its worth."

Rachel stopped in her tracks. It was just like this day in and day out. Five always did everything. He didn't let her lift a finger and stated that, if she did, she'd probably just mess it up. She'd had enough. In this searing heat, there was no way she was keeping her cool.

"That's it! I've had enough of your bullshit, Five!"

Five turned to her in surprise, the wagon bumping against his leg as he abruptly stopped. He watched in surprise as she marched up to him and began poking him in the chest.

"This holier than thou attitude is getting on my nerves. If we're going to survive being trapped together, we need to work as a team. You can't just take everything on by yourself. I get it, Five. I really do, even though you won't talk to me. And, yes, it's because I sensed your feelings before you told me to cut it out, but I get it! You feel bad and think that means the burden is on you. Well, stop it because I chose to grab your jacket. I could have let you walk away. I could have gone inside and lived out my life until it all ended. I chose to check on you. Sure, I didn't know what that would mean, but I don't regret my choice. So, let me do my own damn part, you overbearing dictator!"

Five grabbed her wrist and stopped her from stabbing him with her finger.

"Was this your first time trying to chew someone out?"

The girl suddenly felt embarrassed. Pulling her hands behind her back she nodded, looking at the ground.

"I-I just…if we're going to be stuck together…I want to be treated as an equal…a partner in figuring out how to get through this. I don't want to just let you do everything and watch you wear yourself out."

Five grinned at the girl.

"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting you to ever have an outburst like that. It was almost cute. Like watching a bunny rabbit try to attack a fox."

Rachel pouted, making the boy snicker at her. He held the wagon handle out to her, causing her to look up in surprise.

"Alright, partner. But I'm still a dictator and I'm not going easy on you. I'm still smarter, so if we survive it's because of my smart decisions. But I'll share the labor with you, hm? Only because Dolores agrees with you, not because of that weak speech you just gave."

The girl blinked at him before taking the handle. With his grin shifting to a full smirk, he turned and began plodding on once again. His companion sped up her pace to catch up with him. The two continued on that way, shoulder to shoulder, figuring out the path to travel together.

-Present Day-

Rachel groaned as sunlight seared the back of her eyelids. She blinked her eyes open to see the roof of a car. Pulling herself up, she found she was in the backseat of Reginald Hargreeves' car. Five sat at attention in the driver seat outside of Meritech. Letting out a yawn, the girl crawled into the front passenger seat.

"Good morning," she told the boy after almost elbowing him in the face during her slight contortion act.

"Morning," he said, eyes still trained on the entrance.

The girl looked at the building.

"Is it open?"

"Yes."

"Going in by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Shall I man the getaway vehicle?"

"No, it'll be fine. You just wait here."

As he moved to open the door, Rachel pulled him back.

"Not to waste time, but there is something I need to talk with you about."

Five turned back and looked at her, slightly perturbed to be delayed.

"About what exactly?"

Rachel leaned the side of her head against the car seat as she looked at Five.

"I heeded your request not to read your emotions for a good forty-five years. That was easy considering we were the only two people in existence. Then I'd be sure to not focus on you when we had a job to do and it was convenient. Now, we are being chased by assassins, which makes me feel uncomfortable about not using my powers. I didn't want to be rude and not let you know, so…I'm letting you know I'm going to use them."

Five sighed heavily.

"I get where you're coming from, but don't you dare focus on me specifically. I get it when you can't help it, but I hate when you purposefully try to psychoanalyze me from my feelings."

"Five, emotions are natural. Just because you walk around acting like you don't have them doesn't mean I don't know the truth."

"Why do you think you drove me crazy as a kid?!" Five hissed at her," 'What's got you down today, Five? What has you scared, Five? You seem really happy today, Five!'"

Rachel pouted at his imitation of her when she was a kid. She hadn't controlled herself as a kid and managed to use her power as a means of starting conversations. It was her own fault Five pranked her so often. That way she only sensed his amusement about terrorizing her.

"I may look like I did back then, but I'm a fifty-eight-year-old woman in here who knows better now, thanks."

Five smirked at her.

"And yet you still ask me for permission to do your own thing after forty-five years."

Rachel lunged for him, but he was suddenly outside the car.

"I do that for your sake, you ungrateful jerk!" her muffled shout sounded from the car.

Five saluted her and began walking off. Rolling down the window, she leaned out of the car.

"Please be careful, Five!"

He gave a small smile as he headed across the street, stamping out the affection he felt for her before she could sense it and tease him later.

It was only about twenty minutes later when Five was opening the car door again. The look of severe irritation was enough for Rachel to know they'd be back at Meritech again.

"So…a thirteen-year-old isn't getting the answers easily, hm?"

"I'll figure it out. For now, let's head back to the Academy."

Rachel just shrugged and wondered how they were going to get the information on the eye without running a stealth mission to extract the information.


	6. Chapter 5

"You want…who?" Rachel asked in shock as she followed Five upstairs.

"Klaus. He looks like an adult, even if he doesn't act like one."

Rachel grabbed Five's hand and stopped him from moving. She looked him right in the eyes.

"This is a terrible idea. If anyone is going to get you killed before you can stop the apocalypse…it's Klaus. And he is my favorite one of your brothers now that Ben is dead."

Five tilted his head at her.

"Luther and Diego have their heads too far up their own asses to understand or be helpful. Or do this my way, for that matter. They'll want to do things their way or no way. Klaus is easily bought. And before you suggest Allison or Vanya, let me remind you that Allison will say it's too dangerous and Vanya obviously can't help. She doesn't understand."

Rachel rubbed her forehead.

"My vote is really with Allison on this one. We can make her understand! She'd get them to do anything just with a few words. In, out, and done."

Five nodded at her as if he was considering it, but she knew he wasn't. He gave her one of his fake smiles.

"Klaus is less time consuming. Just wait in my room, okay?"

Rachel threw her hands up in defeat. As Five went off to find his brother, Rachel sat on his bed. She looked around the room, amazed with how diligent Grace was at keeping the place clean after seventeen years in their time. The room was spotless, as if it was still used. The walls were mint green like the hallway, but books and toys were stacked all around. Drawings still stuck to the walls and homework left years ago sat on the desk. She sat up straighter as she felt Klaus's emotions change to extremely pleased. Five must have gotten to the part about payment. She shook her head at how simple it was for Five to manipulate his brother. The two shortly entered. Klaus looked over at her.

"Oh, your girlfriend _is _here!"

"Can you focus?" Five asked him," Best clothes. I need you to be really professional if you're going to act like you're my father."

Rachel's head whipped toward the front door. Someone very worried was coming into the house. A female voice called out tentatively. The voice was too far to be heard, but Rachel knew who it was already. The girl looked at the males.

"Vanya's here," she announced.

"Shit," Five cursed under his breath," Get in the wardrobe."

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

Five made a face at her.

"Not you, genius. Him."

Klaus looked at him in surprise.

"Oh, me!"

Five practically shoved him in.

"Make sure to change while in there," he reminded before closing the door and jumping over to the window and looking out of it.

Rachel flipped to be on the other side of the bed so it looked like the two of them may have been talking. About a minute later, Vanya appeared.

"Oh, thank God," she said, seeing the two of them," I was worried sick about you."

"Sorry we left without saying goodbye," Five said, turning to her.

She could see Five melting into his charming kid act. Rachel turned her head and smiled at her old best friend.

"We didn't mean to worry you."

"No, look, I'm the one that should be sorry. Yeah, I was dismissive, and I-I guess I didn't know how to process what you were saying. And I still can't, to be honest."

Five walked over to her as she talked, and Rachel rolled back across the bed.

"Maybe you were right to be dismissive. Maybe it wasn't real after all. We talked about it…after what you said. It felt real."

Five made a show of walking to his desk and moving the toy train sitting on it.

"Well…like you said, the old man did say time travel could contaminate the mind."

"Then maybe I'm not the right person for you to be talking to. Look, I used to see someone. A therapist. I could give you her information."

"Thanks, but…I think I'm gonna get some rest. It's been a long time since I've had a good sleep. Right, Rachel?"

She looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll just borrow one of the empty bedrooms until I can…figure out what I'm doing for the foreseeable future."

"Okay," Vanya responded to them before leaving.

Five waited a few seconds before moving to the door to check that she was far enough away. Before he even reached the doorway, Klaus was pushing open the wardrobe. Rachel got up out of the bed to help him out as he was making quite the noise. Rachel didn't completely blame him considering Five left his closet in quite the mess it seemed.

"That's so…touching, all that stuff about family and Dad and time. Wow!"

"Would you shut up? She'll hear you," Five scolded.

"I'm moist," Klaus responded.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him. The older minds looked him over. He had changed into a frilly button down with print and leather black pants that laced up the sides.

"I told you to put on something professional," Five reminded.

"What? This is my nicest outfit."

"Wow," Rachel responded.

Five sighed and shook his head.

"We'll raid the old man's closet," he said, moving out of the room.

"Whatever as long as I get paid."

"When the job is done."

Klaus and Rachel followed him out. The man stopped them at the top of the stairs.

"Okay, but just so we're clear on the finer details, I just gotta go into this place and pretend to be your dear old dad, correct?"

"Yeah. Something like that."

"What's our cover story?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I mean, was I really young when I had you? Like, 16? Like, young and…terribly misguided?"

Rachel couldn't help but laugh, which got her a look from Five that clearly asked her not to enable his brother.

"Sure."

"Your mother, that slut. Whoever she was. We met at…the disco. Okay? Remember that. Oh, my God, the sex was amazing."

"What a disturbing glimpse into that thing you call a brain," Five announced, turning and moving down the stairs.

"Don't make me put you in time-out."

Rachel had been trying to hold in her amusement, but that last part really got to her and she fell into hysterics. Klaus wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they went downstairs.

"Don't encourage him!" Five scolded her.

"Leave her be. I'm glad she's grown into a sense of humor since we were kids. Let me tell you about how our eyes met across the room and I knew she just wanted to see my-"

"Klaus!"


	7. Chapter 6

Rachel waited just outside the Meritech building for Klaus and Five to come back, hopefully with the information they wanted. A teenager standing outside the building drew attention from a few of the workers, but she just smiled and pretended to check the time on the clock in the lobby as if she were waiting on someone who worked there. When the two she was truly waiting on came back, her jaw dropped. Klaus came out thrilled while Five's brow was furrowed.

"I was pretty good, though, right? 'Yeah. What about _my_ consent, bitch?'"

"What in the world happened to the two of you?!" she asked.

Klaus had a bleeding gash on the right side of his forehead. He was slightly wet, and glitter was sprinkled sporadically over his right shoulder. Five had clearly been punched in the lip as it was swollen, and a bit of blood was coagulating in the left corner of his mouth.

"What happened is that I got him to do what we wanted!" Klaus crowed.

"Klaus, it doesn't matter," Five told him.

"What? What? What? What's the big deal with this eye, anyway?"

"There is someone out there who's going to lose an eye in the next seven days," Five informed him, "They're gonna bring about the end of life on this Earth as we know it."

Klaus took a breath and then dismissed that information.

"Yeah, can I get that twenty bucks, like, now, or what?"

"Your twenty bucks?"

"Yeah, my twenty bucks."

The apocalypse is coming, and all you can think about is getting high?"

"Well, I'm also quite hungry. Tummy's a-rumblin'."

He imitated a growling stomach with his mouth. Rachel was trying hard to remind herself that she liked Klaus, as right now he was being unhelpful.

"You're useless," Five told him," You're all useless!"

"Oh, come on. You need to lighten up, old man."

Five went to sit on the stairs of Meritech. Rachel crossed her arms and sauntered over to him.

"I kind of told you to ask Allison."

"She'd be useless, too."

She turned to look at Klaus as he moved toward them.

"Hey, you know, I've just now realized why you're so uptight. You must be horny as hell!"

Five's eyes flicked between his brother and Rachel. Rachel's eyes widened, and she turned away from them, pretending she couldn't hear.

"Oh, boy…" she mumbled.

"All those years alone with just Rachel," Klaus soothed," It's gotta screw with your head. Unless you were screwing with _her_…"

"Well…We weren't alone."

With that simple sentence from Five, Rachel's back stiffened. She immediately shut down being able to feel emotions. She didn't want to pry into that complicated bag of feelings.

"Oh? Pray tell."

"Her name was Dolores. We were together for over thirty years."

"Thirty years? Oh, wow! God, the longest I've been with someone was…I don't know, three weeks. And that's only because I was so tired of looking for a place to sleep."

Rachel suddenly turned, feeling a hand on her leg before she was suddenly in the backseat of a taxi. Her head hit the top of the car as she had been standing when they jumped.

"Ow!" she protested.

The taxi driver looked back at them in shock.

"Don't stop," Five told him," Just keep going."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Five saluting his brother as they drove past him. Letting out a breath, the girl just fell back into the seat and looked out to her left as the landscape passed by. Five settled in beside her.

"We're going to get Dolores right now, aren't we?"

The car was quiet, which was obviously a 'yes.'

"I'm sorry if I made you feel bad."

Rachel rolled her head to her right to look at Five.

"Why would I feel bad? How would you explain to your brother that you were in a polyamorous "relationship" with a me and a mannequin for over thirty years? One where the main partner for you is a mannequin and I was…used. That would sound crazy. Imagine if Klaus realized I was the one who was going crazy feeling...anyway, I do love how you chose to explain about Dolores instead of just saying you were with me. Way to make it stranger once they meet her."

Her words trailed off with a sigh. Rachel felt her breathing getting irregular, so she purposefully took deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she focused on the inhalation and then the exhalation, nothing else. She felt fingers interlace with hers, causing her to open her eyes again and look over at Five. He squinted his eyes at her.

"You weren't used. Let me remind you, I'd be celibate without your prompting."

"Accurate, but also not the point. I'm not…I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, Five. I know getting stuck in the future weighed on you…_a lot_. I'm not rocking the boat about that. You do what you need to. I care about you too much to force you to drop Dolores after all these years. She is your crutch and you're mine, that is simply my life. And I happen to like that Dolores ends up agreeing with me a lot."

Five rubbed his forehead, which made her let out a soft laugh.

"I know I haven't made things easy. In fact, I'm great at complicating situations. And we definitely need to talk about this. When there is time," he told her.

Rachel nodded at him. That might actually be never. They spent 45 years barely talking about their feelings. What was another eight days?

"Sure…"

After about a five-minute drive, Rachel was confused as they stopped near what looked like a park.

"This isn't Gimbel Brothers," she said to Five.

He looked at her in mock surprise.

"Really? Come on."

She followed him out of the taxi as he paid the driver. She was concerned as the driver took off.

"So, we are walking the rest of the day?"

Five shrugged.

"Gimbel Brothers is close to here. Also keeps the driver from trying to figure out how we appeared in his car if we are gone by the time he can come back with anyone."

Rachel nodded.

"Fair point."

Five led her across the street from where she had been looking. Taking a good look at the area, she realized they were in front of a cemetery. Rachel turned to Five, who stood with his hands in his pockets.

"You wanted to visit them…so here they are."

A chill ran through the girl's body. Five could clearly read fear in her eyes.

"I don't want it to be true," she whispered to him.

Taking a hand out of his pocket, the boy reached out and took one of hers. He began leading her into the cemetery.

"You wanted confirmation. You won't be able to get that by staying away. I promised we'd go together, so let's go. I'm right here, you don't need to worry."

Vanya's book had conveniently labeled at which lot on the grounds to find the headstones for Rachel's parents. When they found them, Rachel just stared at the stone slabs in front of her. Both died in 2005, buried together just as they had died. Rachel knelt down between their graves and placed her hand on each one.

"I'm sorry you couldn't find me. I wish…I wish you'd waited for me. Or moved on with your lives."

Rachel sat there for so long that the sun began to set. Five didn't say anything, nor did he push her to hurry up. He just stood by her, close enough so that she could always feel that he was there by her side. Eventually, she got up and looped her arm around Five's.

"They killed themselves hoping to see me again…" she murmured to him," I can't…imagine how it must feel to be a parent. To lose your only child. I'll never understand…"

Five looked down at her as she watched the stones.

"At least you know they loved you."

"I could have just run off. They could have waited. Choosing to die together is…It makes me feel like I killed them. They could still be alive and waiting for me. I could…could have gone home to them. Father would have understood and helped…God, I can't tell if I'm angry or sad. But I'm glad I saw the graves. It makes it feel like reality now. Thank you, Five."

She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah…of course."

As they began walking, Rachel reached out to sense feelings in the area. She didn't want to say anything, but her suspicions were correct. Five felt guilty, feeling as if taking her into the future instead of returning her home was all his fault. It began to rain slightly as she squeezed Five's arm.

"I'm glad you weren't stranded alone in the future, you know," she told him.

Five gave her an confused look.

"That's an odd thing to say suddenly."

"I just mean…our lives could have certainly gone different ways. Plenty of what ifs and regrets, sure. I just…wanted you to know that I don't regret grabbing your jacket and I don't regret being stuck with you because…I feel like being alone there would have been so much worse for you. Less annoying and certainly more resources, but I hate to think how you would feel if you were all alone by yourself. Dolores is fine company and smart as a whip, but don't you feel the same?"

Instead of answering, Five stopped their walk. There in the sunset, he turned and tugged her closer. His hands went to her face as he kissed her. His emotions slammed into her in a jumble that she was too preoccupied to dissect. The kiss lasted only a moment before he pulled away and cleared his throat.

"I am glad I wasn't alone…Now…stop sensing my feelings and let's get going. And don't tell Dolores I love you."

Rachel laughed softly, doing as he asked. He sometimes said that line about Dolores when saying it outright felt too embarrassing for him. There was no way Dolores wouldn't know in all those years. If she were sentient, anyway. As they walked on, she licked her lips and tasted the iron from Five's cut.

"You know, you never did tell me why you walked out of Meritech with a bloody lip."

"It was both brilliant and idiotic."

They walked the way to Gimbel Brother's while Five recounted Klaus's insanity while pretending to be his father.


	8. Chapter 7

It was well into the night and a thunderstorm was revving up as they got to Gimbel Brothers. The lot was deserted. Five spacial jumped them past the entrance before glancing around the store. The interior of the store was so dark. Only a bluish light gave them some visibility around the store. They hunted around first for a flashlight before making it to the women's section of the department store. Eventually, they found their goal in the middle of the women's department. Five smiled up at Dolores.

Rachel grinned at him.

"A bit of a shame…she looks nice in that wig. You really want to rob her of her legs?"

"Shut up."

She examined the racks of clothes while waiting. She knew he needed a moment. She began pulling items she liked off the racks. She wanted to stop looking like a neon sign as soon as possible. This skirt wasn't easy to move in.

"Dolores. It's good to see you. I've missed you…obviously. Well, I…it's been a rough couple of days."

Rachel, who had been looking toward the opposite end of the store was jarred as she suddenly heard Five scream.

"No!"

Knowing that couldn't be good, the girl dove to the floor behind the racks of clothing. She was just in time as gunshots started firing. Crawling to the edge of the racks, she checked back to see Dolores's top half fall to the ground. _Huh_, Rachel thought to herself before trying to spot Five. He wasn't in front of the assassins, which was good at least. That was until he ran out and grabbed Dolores. Rachel cursed at the risk before rushing down low to where he was now hidden. He was just about to rush off when Rachel reached them.

"Stay with Dolores!" Five commanded her.

"I can help, you know!" she hissed.

"Stay!"

Rachel looked at Dolores, picking her up in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

"He has a hero complex when it comes to us. We know it. He makes quite an entrance though, doesn't he? Sorry about your legs."

Within a minute, Five was back with a backpack that the two of them shoved Dolores and the clothes Rachel grabbed into. Five grabbed Rachel's hand and they booked it through the store while being shot at. Rachel finally got a glimpse of their attempted killers. She mentally groaned realizing it was Hazel and Cha-Cha. They were good at their jobs, so it wouldn't be easy to drop them. Five tried to jump, but his powers pushed back.

"Shit! Come on!"

"Keep running!" Rachel urged.

The two of them hopped a sale's rack near the front, trying to dodge bullets. A police car pulled up at that moment, distracting the assassins. Rachel pulled Five down into the cash register area. The two sat there breathing hard, Dolores held by Five. The two of them waited a bit for the two to run off before the police came in. Once they were sure they were gone, they snuck out the back and headed back toward the Academy.

They got back in the early hours of the morning. As they made their way upstairs, they ran into Allison and Luther.

"Five? Rachel? What the hell happened to you?"

Rachel looked between her clothes and Five. They looked like they'd been roughed up.

"Are you okay?" Luther asked," Can we help?"

Luther reached out a hand for Five's bleeding right shoulder but Five grabbed it.

"There's nothing you can do. There's nothing any of you can do."

Letting go of Luther's arm, he turned and stormed off to his room. Rachel gave them an apologetic wave and followed him. Getting up to his room, he slammed the door shut and lay Dolores down on the chest at the foot of his bed.

"You know," Rachel said, pulling her newly acquired clothes out of the bag," I'm wondering if you aren't jumping well because you haven't slept in over a day."

"I don't have time for that," he told her, stripping off his jacket and white shirt. The girl rolled her eyes as she pulled off her shirt and the extra vest underneath. She'd been able to snag a few bras at the store. It was hard to escape gunshots when you felt too free. In a matter of minutes, she was dressed in black jeans, a black tank top, and a royal blue cover shirt tied loosely at her stomach. By the time she was done, she found Five giving himself stitches from his bullet wound.

"You seriously have ants in your pants," she complained, taking the job away from him and finishing it herself," You should really wash the blood off."

"No time," he said, getting dressed again.

"Time, time, time," Rachel muttered under her breath.

She gave up as he packed Dolores back up and headed for the window. Rachel moved to follow him, but he turned and held a hand out.

"You stay and sleep. I'm just staking out Meritech. I'll catch up with you later."

"What?!" she demanded," But we're a team!"

"Stay. Seriously."

Rachel growled slightly as he disappeared out the window. She couldn't lie and say she wasn't exhausted. Lying down on Five's old bed, she closed her eyes. She was asleep before she knew it.

-Post Apocalypse: Seven Years-

Rachel lay on her blanket by the fire. It was winter. Outside their shelter raged a blizzard. The building they made as their home for the winter was an abandoned bank vault. It was cold as hell, but one of the few things that survived whatever happened. Luckily over the past seven years, Five and Rachel and stored up on blankets and become professionals at starting fires. Dolores lay in a corner on her own blanket as Five scribbled into a notebook he had found. He did this most evenings when the light was gone. When they couldn't be out searching for resources, he did his best to find a way back to the past. Rachel wondered how people would even react if they showed up in 2002 at the age of twenty instead of thirteen. Well, Sir Reginald and her father would probably take it as a fun research project at least. Her mother would cry, feeling as if she'd missed out on the best years of Rachel's life, and Five's siblings would probably be jealous. Many of them wanted to be adults already by the age of thirteen.

Rachel pulled her blanket tighter as she watched Five working on his equations. He was still the relatively serious, sarcastic, and smart individual she grew up with. Now he was just harboring a new beard, barely coming in just yet. His hair was also quite long, covering his eyes from her view at this point as he scribbled away at his book. He'd hit his growth spurt at about seventeen, so now he was a lot taller than her instead of just the two or so inches he had on her when they first got stuck in the future. There weren't any mirrors still truly intact anymore, but she'd noticed her hair get darker due to sun exposure. She had also gotten tanner, which was good. She had always been sickly pale as a child due to the serum.

Her eyebrows lifted as Five suddenly looked up at her.

"You're burning a hole into my skull. What do you want?"

Rachel was quiet for a moment before she rolled onto her side.

"Is Dolores asleep?"

Five looked toward the mannequin and turned back to her.

"Yeah, why?"

Rachel wondered how to best phrase what she wished to say. She decided to start out simple.

"What do you like about Dolores? What…what makes her attractive to you?"

Five furrowed his eyebrows and put down his notebook. Getting up, he moved around the fire to sit facing her on her blanket.

"Well, she's smart. Funny. Charming, understanding, caring, clever-"

Rachel held up her hand. Wrong approach. Being around Five and Dolores sometimes made her feel like she was crazy, too. Treating her like a real person even though it was mostly in Five's head.

"Okay, she's perfect, I get it. Let me try and get to my point another way. What about me is…unattractive to you? What makes Dolores better?"

Five's eyebrows lifted in surprise. The two had long ago given up on being embarrassed around each other as you couldn't have any privacy when your goal is to survive and communicating needs can sometimes be life or death. So here she was, looking him dead in the eye looking for honest answers. Yet he felt embarrassed.

"I just never really considered it," he told her.

Rachel made a face at him.

"You never considered the only walking and breathing individual by your side since the day we arrived here?"

"Look, one day we are going to go back, and I just figured…" he trailed off.

Rachel sat up and pulled her legs under her to sit cross-legged.

"Yes?"

Five sighed at her pushiness.

"I _figured_ you'd find someone there. We all kind of assumed you'd eventually like Diego back. Maybe even get feelings for Ben since you two were always friendly."

The young woman couldn't help but scoff at his words.

"Yes, when I go back as a twenty-year-old, I'll end up with one of them. Or I'll magically find someone else who understands the PTSD I'll have. Oh, or I'll die here sooner or later wondering what it would be like if someone actually had tried to like me instead of a…instead of Dolores."

Her breathing started to pick up, so Five reached out and put a hand on her upper arm.

"Will you calm down? I'm sorry if you feel insulted that I made a connection with Dolores."

Rachel let out a long exhalation in an attempt to calm herself. She then looked down at her hands.

"Is it because you felt guilty about us being stuck here? It was easier to talk to and fall for Dolores instead of me?"

Five reached out and pinched her cheek. He'd always done that when he talked about his feelings and wanted her to shut her powers off.

"OW!" she protested, looking up at him with an offended look," I didn't say that because I was sensing your emotions, jeez. I knew how you felt when we first got here, I just put two and two together, you bully."

Five couldn't help but laugh at her. Knowing that she wasn't using her power let him relax into his feelings as they sat there by the fire.

"You're not wrong. And it isn't like I dislike you or haven't…wanted you. Dolores is great, but there are limitations. She isn't a person and sometimes you just want…to be comforted by more than words. It's like with your anxiety attacks. You calm down when people hold you, not just try to distract you. There have been times when you'd just reach out at the right moment and I'd think about it, but…then feel guilty."

Rachel smiled at his honesty.

"You shouldn't feel guilty. It just happened. Your dad said time travel was difficult to comprehend and, as shitty as it is, he was right. It is what it is."

Her eyebrows then furrowed as she looked at him.

"Now what is this about liking Diego? Or Ben?"

Five shrugged.

"You know Diego had a huge crush on you. You couldn't have been that dense. Vanya used to talk about how she wanted you as a sister and hoped you might get together with Diego or Ben since they were nice to you."

Rachel couldn't help but laugh. Vanya was such a sweet girl. It was too bad she had such a complex about being ordinary. She shook her head at Five.

"I knew about Diego, but…I always kind of saw him as a brother. Ben…eh, it isn't that much of a stretch, I guess. I just never saw anyone that way. I honestly figured I'd never get married."

Five could see they'd encountered something that Rachel felt uncomfortable about. She began rubbing at her hands, a nervous tick she had. Five took one of her hands to keep her from doing that action.

"Why not?"

Sighing, Rachel squeezed his hand.

"That serum that gave me my powers. It didn't just cause seizures, the anxiety, the…paleness. It..."

She took a deep breath.

"I always dreamed about what my life would be like as an adult. Have a husband, a nice house, and…kids. But, um…not too long before we left 2002…I had a doctor's appointment where the doctor found out that I…can't have kids. It's complicated to explain, but it took away something that I looked forward to and made me feel like…I'm broken. I never got around to telling Vanya because it was hard for me to accept. That's why I figured I'd never get married. I assumed that any guy would want his own kids so…"

"No."

Rachel looked up at his response.

"Nothing is wrong with you and not all guys want kids. I can say that from experience. Few of my siblings looked forward to the idea of parenting after seeing how Dad did it. The right guy wouldn't care, I know that much."

The two just looked at each other, the fire beside them lighting their eyes with orange and red. In the quiet, the snapping and burning of wood sounded loud in their ears. Rachel was the first to look away with a small laugh.

"Anyway," she continued," Don't act like Ben and Diego were the only ones I got along with. Klaus was eventually fine, and I had no problem with you when you weren't scaring me half to death. Why would I dislike you when you were the only one of your brothers who helped with my anxiety attacks? Remember that time I had an attack after being kidnapped?"

Five looked away somewhat embarrassed.

"I was just the only one smart enough to remember what to do…"

"Then, there was the birthday rose that magically appeared in my uniform jacket every year before I went home. I always looked forward to that the most. And before you try to play dumb, two years in a row I checked every five minutes to see if one appeared and the only person who could have done it was you. I strategically asked everyone else before you and their emotions would have given them away."

Five couldn't help the impressed look on his face.

"So, you can use your powers as a lie detector. Interesting. Okay, _fine_. You're right, it was me."

Rachel looked up at him shyly.

"My point there is that…I could have easily fallen for you, too. Okay? And…unfortunately for both of us I've managed to do just that but one-sided…while stuck in the future with you as the only other remaining person…who likes Dolores instead of me."

Five glanced toward the sleeping mannequin before looking back at Rachel.

"Why can't I have feelings for both of you?"

The woman raised an eyebrow and laughed slightly.

"Really? You suddenly like me now that I've told you how I feel?"

"Not suddenly," Five protested," I've thought about it. I just…didn't think I deserved to have you like me, so I never sought it out. I've always found you attractive…and kind. You're patient and observant. Your positivity is something I can't bring myself to have and I…am just happy to be around you because of that."

Rachel wondered what was really going on in Five's brain. Did he really like her or was he being nice to accommodate the fact that they were stuck together and 'might as well?' Did he really love Dolores or was it compensating for his guilt? What did it say about her that she liked someone with this issue?

"Well, I do like you. Because as sarcastic and egotistical as you are, you're still nice. You care about things way more than you let on. And you're a good person."

Five looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment from her words. Rachel just smiled and went on.

"I suppose it would be really mean of you to break up with Dolores to be with me, especially since you still like her. You can't just leave one of us abandoned somewhere. I guess I can accept that. You think Dolores might be mad?"

Five shook his head with a smile.

"I think she'll be as okay with it as you. We're the only two people left after all. She's smart. She'll get it."

Rachel laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, she's always struck me as being understanding like that."

It was quiet between them once again until Rachel squeezed his hand again.

"Hey, have you and Dolores kissed?"

Five's face went red in the firelight.

"No…"

"You think she'd be mad if I was your first kiss, then?"

He turned and looked at her and shrugged through his awkwardness.

"I don't think so."

Taking that as permission, Rachel leaned forward. Five met her halfway and they shared their first kiss. Then their second. And third. The kisses became needier and eager as Rachel pulled Five down on top of her. He was surprised by her aggressiveness. Her personality was so mild, usually, but he wasn't complaining.

"Let's go further," Rachel urged, looking up at her partner.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Five asked, surprised by how quickly she was moving.

Rachel nodded.

"Please?"

He pulled her legs up over his hips as he pressed himself harder against her. She didn't have to ask twice as Five had no problem accommodating her wishes.


	9. Chapter 8

It was dark out when Rachel opened the back door of a plumbing van Five had commandeered. Five turned and looked back at her.

"Oh, good, its only you. I was worried it was Luther again. Or worse, Klaus."

The girl let out a laugh as she closed the doors behind her.

"Get some unwanted visitors earlier today?"

"Unfortunately. Something about Mom killing Dad. Luther wanted me at a family meeting about it but I'm not going to participate in his little murder mystery game."

Rachel didn't respond, she moved over to the front. Seeing Dolores in the front seat, she reached for her.

"How about you sit in my lap, Dolores? That way we can both keep an eye out with him."

Rachel tugged her into her arms before awkwardly getting over the center console to sit. Just as she settled in, the door to Meritech opened. Five sat up straighter in his seat.

"There's our guy," Five commented.

"Well, I have great timing," Rachel noted.

They watched as he stood on the side of the road. Very shortly after, a car pulled up. He walked to the car and put his briefcase into it.

"What the hell is he up to?" Five mused as the man stayed out of the car, instead receiving an envelope for his bag.

"Was that just-"

Rachel hadn't even finished her sentence when Five spacial jumped out of the car. With a groan, she put Dolores in the driver's seat.

"Here, if we need to make a getaway, you drive."

Five came back about an hour later. Opening the driver's side door, he started giving out commands.

"Okay, I need you to go back to the Academy. Dolores is coming with me. I know where that guy lives now so I'm going to surprise him in the morning. You can just…hang out for a bit until I get back with the information."

Rachel stared at him with an unimpressed expression. He made a face at her in return.

"Just do as I ask, please?"

"Ask? Oh, I wasn't aware those were questions."

Five rolled his eyes, but the girl was already heading back toward the Academy. She took a detour to get some food and walk through a park. By the time she got back, it was morning. Going into the entryway, she stopped at the sight of the chandelier being on the floor.

"What the hell happened here?!" she asked, mainly herself as no one was in sight.

Pogo's voice reached her from the sitting room.

"Miss Rachel, is that you?"

Skirting the mess that was the foyer, Rachel followed the butler's voice. She found him waiting for her from another entrance to the room. There were bullet holes and general damage all over the room.

"Pogo, what happened?"

He stared up at her with a serious expression.

"We had some assassins come looking for you and Five last night. Luther and Diego are out looking for you both right now. Luther believed he knew where to find you. It seems that he was half incorrect."

Rachel felt her heart rate spike.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Well…they…managed to…Grace is no longer with us."

"I'm so sorry," she told Pogo," You all must be devastated. Especially Diego."

Pogo sighed.

"Well, any help you might be willing to give to Luther and Diego would be greatly appreciated."

Rachel nodded and turned toward the door.

"I'll go and find them. I'm sure I know where they'll look first."

"Miss Rachel, wait just a moment."

The girl turned and looked at him with surprise.

"Yes?"

Pogo moved slowly closer to her. He then pulled out a few folded pages from his pocket.

"I hoped I would find a time to give you these. They are a few notes from Mr. Hargreeves on your powers. I think it is important that you understand what you are capable of. I hope you find time to read them when you have a spare moment. Please be careful while finding the others."

She thanked him softly before going right back where she came from, tucking the notes in her pocket. Unfortunately, by the time she reached the plumbing van, there were police, firemen, and ambulances all over the place. The Meritech building was destroyed in an explosion that the firefighters were finishing up with. Running to the van, Rachel looked inside.

"Five?! Five, are you here?!"

She looked around for him or any sign of Dolores, but neither were present.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath.

She tried to sense any familiar emotions, potentially pinpointing Five. She was right, she could feel him, but he was extremely depressed. She followed the feeling as it began to change and warp confusingly. She made a beeline for the location. She knew he was getting drunk. That wasn't going to be good for anyone. He had a sharp tongue naturally. When drunk, it got a sharpened edge. Not that he was violent, just sassier than usual. She followed his emotions to a library. Going up a few flights of stairs, she found him drinking with Dolores in his arms. He was already half a bottle in of two. Formulas were written all over the posts around him. Notebooks and books were around him on the floor.

"Jeez, Five, what are you doing?" Rachel muttered.

Five's eyes fluttered a bit as she sat down by him.

"Hey, Rach," he greeted, chugging the last of the bottle.

She waited a bit, thinking he'd say more. Instead, he just opened the other bottle and started in. After a minute, Rachel tugged it out of his hands. He protested.

"Hey! That's mine. If the world is going to end, I'd rather be drunk for it."

Rachel scooted closer to him.

"What happened? The Meritech building was blown up."

"Yep," he said popping the "p" and reaching for the bottle," You might as well take a drink, too. In six…or is it five now…whatever. In a few days we're dead. Blown up. I couldn't do it. I couldn't save the world or my family. We're dead. All the information I wanted is destroyed."

Rachel felt bad for him. He was feeling a lot of emotions from angry, to sad, to scared, and more.

"So…no other plans?"

"Nope. I can't fix the formula to get us to another time. So, this is it."

The girl stared at him before looking down at the bottle. Well, if was the end of the world, why not? She began drinking from the bottle. She chugged half of it before handing it back to Five. He gave her a big smile.

"There you go. Cheers!"

He drained the bottle. Rachel had always been a lightweight. Half the bottle was enough to make her drowsy. A bottle and a half easily knocked out Five. The girl didn't wake up again until she was rocking back and forth in a pair of arms.

"Well, we can't go back to the house. It's not secure. Those psychopaths could come back at any moment.

Rachel barely recognized the voice of Luther. The next voice was closer, meaning they were carrying her.

"My place is closer," Diego suggested," No one will look for them there."

Someone belched from behind Rachel, she assumed it was Five. Glancing back, she saw him being carried by Luther. The man curled up his lip.

"If you vomit on me…"

"You know what's funny," Five responded," Aah! I'm going through puberty. Huh. Twice. And I…I drank that whole bottle, didn't I? That's what you do when the world you love goes bye-bye. Poof, it's gone. What are you guys talkin' about?"

Luther sighed at him.

"Two masked intruders attacked the Academy last night."

"They came looking for you," Diego pitched in," And Rachel. So, I need you to focus. What do they want?"

Rachel raised one of her hands like she was answered a question at school.

"Hazel and Cha-Cha," she told them.

"Who?" Diego asked.

"You know, I hate code names," Luther told them.

"Ah, the best of the best," Five informed them," Except for me, of course. And I never go anywhere without Rachel so killing her is on the agenda, too."

"The best of what?" Luther demanded.

Five rubbed the top of Dolores's head.

"You know, Dolores always said she hated when I drink. She said it made me surly-"

Rachel's head lolled to the side.

"I probably said that, but she may have agreed."

"Hey!" Diego shouted, turning around," I need you two to focus. What do this Hazel and Cha-Cha want?"

Five gave him a broad smile while Rachel looked up at him with a deadpan stare. Diego took a breath and lowered his tone.

"We just wanna protect you."

"Protect me," Five scoffed," I don't need your protection, Diego. Neither does Rachel because she's got me. Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? No. I'm the Fourth frickin' Horsemen. The apocalypse is coming."

He then turned over Luther's shoulder and vomited. Five passed out after that. Diego looked down at Rachel as they kept on walking.

"Are you going to translate that spiel for us or what?"

"Are you going to believe what I say if I do? Or will you think we're crazy?"

Diego looked down at her.

"You're so quiet most of the time that I sometimes see you as that same kid who disappeared all these years ago. But you open your mouth now and sometimes…"

Rachel snickered.

"Sometimes you hear Five. Yeah. Forty-five years of being alone with him had an effect. I'm sorry if that is inconvenient for you. What he said is pretty straightforward. The world is ending in just a few days and he has been working non-stop to prevent it. What we saw in that future was terrible. The two at the Academy, they were assassins. So are we…mostly Five. And a good one."

Diego and Luther exchanged a look. Rachel then lost consciousness once again as a wave of sleepiness hit her. She didn't wake up again until she jolted a bit at a loud voice and a feeling of rage entering her consciousness.

"Of course, it would. We could've banded together and helped you try to stop this thing."

Rachel let out a soft whine from being woken up. Turning to her left, she found Luther and Five looking back at her. She froze. Five was sitting on the bed by her side while Luther was in a chair across from him. Light was filtering in from outside, so she'd been out for quite some time. The room they were in was unfamiliar, but it screamed Diego. Thinking of him, that was who she felt was enraged and he was making his way here fast.

"Sorry to interrupt?" she said groggily," Uh, just so-"

Five turned back to Luther before she could even get another word out.

"For the record, you already tried."

Luther looked taken aback.

"What do you mean?" Luther asked.

Rachel slid to the edge of the bed and sat beside Five, her side leaning against his. She figured now wasn't the time to let them know about Diego. As Five hesitated, the girl placed her hand in his.

"I found all of you," he told Luther, his voice wavering," Your bodies."

"We die?" Luther asked, surprised.

Five looked back at him.

"Horribly. You were together, trying to stop whoever it was that ends the world."

"Wait, how do you know that?"

Rive reaching into his pocket and pulled out the eye that he had been trying to identify.

"This was clutched in your dead hand when I found you."

He tossed the eyeball to his brother who examined it.

"Must've ripped it out of their head right before you went down."

"Whose head?"

"Like I said, I don't know."

Luther turned the eyeball in his fingers.

"Well, there's a serial number on the back. Think maybe you could try-"

"No, that's a dead end. It's just another hunk of glass."

Five took it back from Luther just as Diego slammed the door open as Rachel expected.

"Piece of shit," he muttered," Do you have any idea what you just did?"

He made a beeline straight for Five and Rachel, but Luther stopped him and grabbed him.

"Nope, let me-"

"Get your ape hands off of me!"

Rachel wasn't sure what that meant, but she was terrified. She hadn't quite expected that much rage to be aimed at her. Luckily Luther pulled his brother straight off the ground so he couldn't get any leverage.

"I can do this as long as it takes you to calm down," the larger man told him.

Diego glared at the two teenagers before sighing.

"Fine."

Luther put him down.

"Now, wanna tell us what you're talkin' about?"

Diego glared at them.

"Our brother and his assistant have been pretty busy since they got back. They were in the middle of that shootout at Griddy's, and then at Gimbel Brothers, after the guys in masks attacked the Academy, looking for them."

Five just casually stared back at his brother.

"None of which is any of your concern."

"It is now. They just killed my friend."

Rachel looked over at Diego with sympathy.

"I'm sorry about your friend, Diego. Really," she told him as Luther turned to them.

"Who are they, Five?" he asked.

The boy hesitated before looking at Rachel and then back at them.

"They work for our former employer. A woman called The Handler. She sent them to stop me. Then, soon as Diego's friend got in their way, well, fair game."

Diego leaned toward the two on the bed.

"And now they're my fair game. And I'm gonna see to it that they pay."

He turned to leave, but Five called out to him.

"That would be a mistake, Diego. They've killed people far more dangerous than you."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," he responded, slamming the door behind him.

Rachel stood up, wanting to go after him. But she realized that it wasn't her place to do so anymore. He'd grown up in seventeen years and wasn't the stuttering little boy she knew. Her place was to stay with Five. Especially since she had a target on her back. She'd get Diego killed faster if she went. She sat back down heavily. Five put a hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze.

"Your former employer?" Luther questioned," What's this really about, Five? And don't give me any of this 'it's none of your business' crap, all right?"

"Well, it's a long story."

Luther sat down in his chair, waiting for him to go on. Five recounted how The Handler met with them out of the blue many, many years after they arrived in the future. How she asked them to work to keep the timeline intact with five years of service before being able to retire wherever or whenever they wanted. As he talked, Rachel went ahead and make some breakfast and coffee for her and Five.

"They turned us into the perfect instruments for rehabilitation of the time continuum. Or 'corrections,' as they called them. We weren't the only ones. There are others like us. Beings out of time, fractured, extracted from the lives that they knew. I don't know how they got there. But I do know that none of them were as good as me. They didn't realize it, but I was biding my time, trying to figure out the right equation so I could get us back. If we could just get back, I knew I could stop the apocalypse. Save the world. So, I broke our contract.

"So, you were a hit man?" Luther asked as Rachel finished making breakfast.

"Yes."

Luther looked over at Rachel.

"And you?"

"When Five allowed," she shrugged," He always preferred to have his hands dirty over mine."

"Uh…I mean, you had a code, right?" Luther insisted, looking between them," You didn't just kill anybody."

"No code. We took out anyone who messed with the timeline."

"What about innocent people?"

"It was the only way I could get us back here."

"But that's murder."

"Jesus, Luther, grow up. We're not kids anymore. There's no such thing as good guys or bad guys. There's just people, goin' about their lives. But when the world ends, all those people die, including our family."

Luther looked at a loss for words. Five sighed.

"Time changes everything."

The room was silent as the two teenagers finished breakfast. As they headed out to go back to the Academy, Luther was obviously thinking about how to proceed with all of the information he had just learned.


	10. Chapter 9

Back at the Academy, Five and Rachel encountered bloody footprints leading into Klaus's room from the bathtub. Five cautiously knocked on his brother's door.

"You okay?" he asked.

Klaus turned in the middle of putting on a shirt.

"Hey. Yeah, I just…Long night."

"More than one, from the looks of it."

Rachel was fairly sure at this point that Klaus has been sent through time. The fact that he looked like shit told her it wasn't a great experience.

"Yeah."

"Don't remember the dog tags."

"Yeah, they belonged to a friend."

"How about that new tattoo?"

"You know, I don't totally remember even getting it. Like I said, it was a long night."

It was rare for Klaus to show real irritation and he definitely wanted the two of them to go away. Five smirked at his brother instead of following his wishes.

"You did it, didn't you?"

"What are you talkin' about?"

Five moved into the room while Rachel stayed at the door, leaning against the doorframe.

"You know, I can recognize the symptoms, Klaus."

"Symptoms of what?"

"The jet lag. Full body itch. The headache that feels like someone shoved a box of cotton up into your nose through your brain. You gonna tell me about it?"

Klaus looked away as he sat on his bed.

"Your pals, when they broke into the house and they couldn't find you, they took me hostage instead."

"And in return, you stole their briefcase."

Five started pacing. Five was busy devising a plan, she knew that thoughtful smile on his face and the pacing meant his mind was racing. Rachel felt bad for Klaus. Moving into the room, she sat down beside him and put a hand on his arm. He just looked down at her hand as he responded.

"Yeah. I thought there was money in it, or I could pawn it, you know, whatever. And then I opened it."

"And the next thing you knew, you were…where? Or should I say when?"

"What difference does it make?"

"What diff—. Okay, how long were you gone?"

"Almost a year."

"A year?"

"Do you know what this means?

"Yeah, I'm ten months older now."

"No, this isn't any sort of joke, Klaus. Hazel and Cha-Cha will do whatever they can to get the briefcase. Where is it now?"

"Gone. I destroyed it. Poof."

Rachel braced herself for Five to get upset. It was just as she predicted.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"What do you care?" Klaus spat back.

Rachel held a hand out to Five.

"Now might not be the best time to get upset about this, Five."

He ignored her and leaned toward his brother.

"What do I care? I needed it, you moron, so I could get back. I could start over."

Klaus stood up and waved a hand at Five.

"Just…Just…"

"Where are you going?" Fivee demanded.

"Interrogation's over, just…leave."

Once he left the room, Five lunged toward his brother's desk and started scribbling on a piece of paper. Rachel heaved herself up off Klaus's bed.

"You can be such a dick," she told him.

He just waved a hand to shush her. Rolling her eyes, she walked out of the room. She figured with Grace out of commission, someone needed to mop Klaus's blood off the floor and the bathtub. As she was putting supplies away, Luther appeared behind her.

"Hey."

She glanced back at him. Closing the closet door, she turned and looked up at him. He really was quite a few feet taller than her. He seemed a bit awkward. The two had never been alone together or even had a conversation. She remembered him as a kid. Almost as blonde as she was, so tall and strong. He looked a lot like Five as a kid, and a bit how he looked in his thirties, just a blonde version that smiled more back in the day.

"How can I help you, Luther?" she asked, rubbing her slightly still wet hands on her pants.

He hesitated, obviously not sure where to begin.

"I'm just…trying to wrap my head around what Five said. And, uhm…you seem…uh…"

Rachel chuckled and crossed her arms.

"I know Five's personality lends itself toward the side of mentally unsound. I'm not going to even argue that he isn't. I seem more normal to you, is what you're trying to say."

"Uh…yeah."

Luther's awkward feelings flickered making Rachel take some pity on him.

"You can trust Five. At least, what he said. Trusting his ideas and plans are always a little dangerous because they're…generally right but sometimes go astray."

The big man seemed to accept what she was saying. He gave her small smile.

"It must have been tough dealing with him for so long."

Rachel let out a soft laugh.

"You have no idea. If you're looking for Five, I'm sure he is in his room."

She began to walk off, but Luther cleared his throat. She turned back.

"Hm?"

"Is…is Dolores…?"

Rachel tilted her head at him.

"The mannequin he's romantically attached to. Why?"

Luther just held up his hands in surrender and walked off upstairs. Rachel got into a bit of a kick after cleaning upstairs and went about tidying up what she could. She was in the kitchen when she sensed two people heading her way. Luther and Five came walking in moments later with a briefcase.

"Woah, woah, woah," she held them up," Where are you two going? What is that?"

Five looked at Rachel thoughtfully before turning to Luther.

"I'll meet you at the car."

The man holding the briefcase looked between the two of them for a moment before nodding and leaving. Five walked up to her with a serious expression. Rachel dropped the rag she was using to clean the table.

"Got a new partner now? I don't blame you since he's bigger and stronger than me, but I thought we were a team."

Five grinned at her.

"We are a team, but I want you to stay behind this time. It can go very wrong and I prefer you stay safe here."

Leaning on the table, Rachel sighed.

"Meeting with Hazel and Cha-Cha to give them a fake briefcase?"

"You always know my plans without me having to say them…"

"Mmm, only when there are things I can put together. Hazel and Cha-Cha plus a briefcase that got destroyed…not hard science there. You're supposed to save the world so please stay safe. I don't know what me and Dolores would do without you."

Five let out a quick laugh.

"I don't know about Dolores, but you could find someone else."

"Ah, yes. Who would be interested in being with an old person in a teenage body? That'd be a hard sell for anyone who isn't _you_."

She poked his chest when she said that. Five took that hand and held it tightly.

"Cross your fingers for me, then. If I don't come back…I'm sorry."

The two shared a long kiss before Five began pulling away.

"I love you," Rachel whispered before he got too far.

He squeezed her hand one last time.

"I love you, too. Don't tell Dolores."

And then he was gone before she could even blink. Going back upstairs, she sat down at the edge of Five's bed and sat across from Dolores. She stared at the mannequin for a while before tilting her head. Sticking a hand in her pocket she pulled out the notes Pogo had given her. She began to read portions aloud to Dolores.

"While her powers seem quote docile in nature, more lies beyond the surface…children state that their moods sometimes end up matching Rachel's…Kidnapping proves my theory. Rachel can intentionally change the feelings of others. In other worse, she can manipulate emotions. She can do it unintentionally if her feelings are strong…This can certainly be used in dangerous situations."

Rachel looked up and furrowed her eyebrows at Dolores.

"Well…I guess that makes sense. My mom did always complain that when I was miserable, I found a way to make everyone around me miserable. I just thought it was a saying. Did I ever tell you about how me and Five actually became friends? I doubt he's told you. He used to just prank me out of spite before that day, but afterwards he did it…in a friendlier way? Have you heard this story?"

Rachel waited.

"Thought so. I think I made it so that someone noticed me. Okay, well, let me backtrack. It all started when I got kidnapped on my way home from the Academy when I was eight…

-Sometime in 1997-

Rachel was feeling antsy that evening waiting for her parents to come and pick her up. She would usually wait inside where it was warm, especially during the wintertime. But it was the first snow of the season and she was far too excited. Figuring that it wouldn't be a big deal if she went outside the front gate to play on the sidewalk, she did as she pleased. After making it to the sidewalk, she began making shoeprints in different shapes.

She was in the process of trying to make an umbrella when her arm was suddenly grabbed. Looking up, she realized that she didn't recognize who was grabbing her. The builds of these individuals showed that they were male, but they were wearing black ski masks. She let out a high-pitched scream before a bag was tossed over her and she was tugged up into someone's arms, the bag cinched at her feet. The poor girl reached out at the feelings she could still sense inside the Academy, screaming and hoping that someone would hear or notice her struggle. Her screaming ceased as she was flung into some sort of transport vehicle. Rachel internally grabbed for the feelings of the people she could sense, desperate for help. She felt her spirits rise as two people's feelings changed to concern at the same time. It was Diego and Five. The girl panicked as the car revved.

"Let me go!" she shouted, "Please!"

It was fruitless as the car drove away. Rachel began to scream and cry until something hit her on the back of the head.

She woke up unsure how much time had passed. She was in a warehouse of some sort. Her hands were handcuffed around a column. The lighting in the room was low, as not all of the lightbulbs seemed to be working. She could see her kidnappers in front of her, talking. They mentioned the words 'ransom' and 'Academy,' but she couldn't hear them well enough. Feeling overwhelmed, the girl began to cry. The robbers turned to her, hearing her sobs even though she had tried to be quiet.

"Good, you're up."

One of the men came over. Rachel was terrified as she could only see his eyes and mouth through the mask. Squatting down, he stared directly at her. His emotions of greed and determination hit her with full force. She also sensed familiar feelings. A sense of hope surged through her as she reached out to those feelings, hoping they'd find her.

"You're going to do us a favor, little girl. You're going to steal from the Academy for us. Do you understand?"

Rachel shook her head.

"I won't," she mumbled.

She yelped as the man grabbed her jaw hard.

"I can kill you if you'd prefer. You have the useless power of the group, so you might as well do as I say or die."

Tears ran down Rachel's face from the pain as he let her go. The man was about to say something else when a yell went up from behind him. Rachel tilted her head to the side to see the man holding a gun out to the back of the warehouse.

"I saw something!"

"It's probably just a rat. Now, you."

His attention was fully back on Rachel. He pulled a gun from behind him and pressed it up against her forehead. Her rescuers were too far to save her from a gunshot.

"Do you feel like helping us now?"

The little girl began to hyperventilate. She was choking on her tears, unable to breathe. The man retracted the gun and slapped her hard in the face.

"Say something!"

The girl began to shake uncontrollably as she tried to get air into her lungs. It was then that the other man screamed in pain. Rachel couldn't see through her tears. All she could hear was a gun going off before the screaming ceased. The man in front of her retreated a bit before a loud crash sounded. An angry shout and then another crash. She felt her handcuffs being unlocked, but she still couldn't get a handle on herself. When her hands were free, she felt herself pulled into a small set of arms.

"Breathe, Rachel. You're safe now."

Five rubbed one of her arms as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"We're going to count to ten, okay? Can you focus on that? Ready? One, two, you have to count with me."

She was able to stutter out three and then four. By the time they reached ten, the warehouse was quiet. Having brushed away her tears, she could now see Five in his domino mask. She gave him a small smile.

"Thank you, Five."

The boy reached out and pinched her cheek hard.

"How dumb are you? Wandering out into the sidewalk when no one is watching? There are rules for a reason."

She pouted at him as he pulled her up onto her feet. He was about to say something more when he was shoved out of the way and Diego tackled the girl in a hug.

"Rachel! You're okay! I was so worried."

She hugged the boy back.

"How did you guys find me so quickly?" she asked.

Diego pulled away and looked down at her.

"I was the first to notice something was wrong. I don't know, I just felt like I needed to look out the window and I saw you being tossed in a car."

Five scoffed at him and grabbed Rachel's arm.

"Oh, _you_ were first? We both looked out at the same time."

Diego was prepping to respond when Five jumped Rachel outside. Standing before her now with snow falling around him was Sir Reginald Hargreeves. He studied her with a curious look.

"There is more to even you than I thought."

The girl wasn't sure what he meant by that, but the older man quickly turned to Five.

"Bring her to the car, Number Five."

The man then walked off to corral the rest of his children. Five began to walk off toward the car. Rachel reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket. She had been scared he'd walk too fast and leave her behind. She was surprised when Five held his hand out to her.

"You're not going to get kidnapped again. Come on."

She took his hand and he led her back to the car. Soon enough, everyone else was ready to go. That was the day that Rachel realized there was more to Five that she'd thought originally. Sure, it was just a peek under the surface, but it was something.


	11. Chapter 10

Rachel bolted awake the next morning thanks to a heavy knock on the door.

"Rachel, are you in there?"

It was Luther. Rachel glanced at the clock and saw that it was seven thirty in the morning. If Five hadn't come home and woken her up, something must have happened.

"Shit," she mumbled, tossing on the clothes she had discarded to sleep.

She spotted Dolores on the chair in the room and made a face at her.

"He's not dead. Why are you always such a naysayer? Luther feels…confused more than sad, so that's a positive."

After checking that she looked okay, she opened the door.

"Good morning, Luther," she greeted," Where is Five?"

She noticed the tall man looking past her into the room.

"Well…I was kind of hoping he was in here with you. He just disappeared on me."

Rachel turned and mouthed "See?" at Dolores. Turning back to the man, she nodded.

"Exactly how did it go?"

"Uhh…we got there; they called their boss. Klaus and Diego drove in and hit Hazel and Cha-Cha with an ice cream truck-"

The girl looked up at him with a slack jaw.

"I'm sorry, did you say-"

"Yeah, it was exactly what I said. They shot at us, missed, Five disappeared, I threw the briefcase, and the three of us guys drove away as fast as possible. I think I need to get the others together and talk to them about it. I was hoping you'd come down and join us."

Her eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Oh…" was all she could say at first before clearing her throat," Sure. Uhm. Give me some time to shower and I'll be down?"

"Yeah. We'll meet in the sitting room."

With that he turned around and headed downstairs. Rachel closed the door before wandering over toward Dolores.

"That isn't a bad idea…the Handler might have offered him a deal…but he wouldn't just ditch us."

The room was quiet as Rachel thought about it. Shrugging, she moved off toward the bathroom. Around 8:15, she met with Luther who had gathered up Allison, Diego, and Klaus for the meeting. Rachel dressed simple that day in jean shorts and a black t-shirt. Allison had been kind enough to grab them all coffee.

"Three days?" Allison questioned as she handed out drinks.

"Yeah, that's what Five said."

Diego sat to her right with his left arm in a sling. Klaus sat across from them on the floor in front of the matching couch while Luther sat at the bar.

"The old bastard did mention the apocalypse come to think of it. He just left out the part about how soon," Klaus noted.

Allison leaned on the bar by Luther.

"But can we trust him? I don't know if you've noticed, but Five's a little…"

She whistled and made the crazy sign by her head. Rachel brought her drink up to her mouth.

"Yeah, even I'm slightly insulted by that, thanks."

Klaus chuckled while Allison gave her an apologetic look.

"Our little psycho."

"He was pretty convincing," Luther argued for them," If he wasn't trying to stop an apocalypse from happening, those lunatics wouldn't be chasing him."

Rachel sighed.

"Finally, someone with sense. Yes, I understand my mentality isn't quite so sound being stuck with your brother for all those years. But I can tell you for sure that he is telling the truth. He's just horrible about doing it. But if Hazel and Cha-Cha can't convince you…"

"That's why they were after you?" Diego asked her, brows furrowed.

Rachel nodded.

"What did you two even see?" Allison demanded.

Luther and Rachel shared a look. The girl was about to tell them the bad news when Luther cut in.

"Uh…apparently, we all fought together against whoever was responsible."

Rachel's eyes were wide as she stared at him, urging him to tell the rest. Instead he just clicked his tongue.

"Okay. So, here's the plan."

Rachel closed her eyes and took a sip of her coffee. This family and their damn secrets and half-truths. Luther paced the area in front of them.

"Uh, we go through dad's research-"

"Wait, what?" Allison asked confused.

All of Luther's siblings spoke up to reel him back in.

"What actually happened the first time around?" Klaus demanded, looking between Luther and Rachel.

"Yeah, what are you not tellin' us?" Diego inquired," Come on, big boy, spit it out."

As Luther loathed to tell them, Rachel went ahead.

"You died."

"What was that?" Allison asked loudly in shock.

Luther coughed on his coffee.

"She said, uh, we died."

It was at that moment that an umbrella popped out of the umbrella stand by Klaus's sitting spot, making him shriek in alarm. Picking up the stray umbrella, Rachel barely noticed when the Hargreeves decided to gather and argue about their deaths by the bar counter. Rachel turned to look out to the foyer after tidying. She could feel Vanya and someone new in the house. Hopefulness and happiness radiated off Vanya, which was new, while something much more sinister brewed in her companion. She felt ambition, vengeance, pride, and hatred. That mixture made the girl feel a little ill. She moved over to the others and waited for the two to arrive in the sitting room. It didn't take long for Vanya to call out to them. The man wore a smile as he looked at them.

"Hey."

The others turned to face their sister and the man with dark hair who was with her.

"What's going on?" Vanya asked.

Allison hesitated. Rachel could feel that she wasn't very fond of Vanya's buddy.

"It's a family matter."

"A family matter," Vanya repeated, upset at the phrasing," So of course you couldn't bother to include me, but Rachel's here."

Rachel took a sip of coffee in the awkwardness and looked away.

"No, it's not like that," Luther insisted," We were-"

"Please don't let me interrupt," Vanya cut him off and turned to leave.

Allison stepped forward.

"Vanya, wait. I'll fill you in later when we're alone."

"Please, please, don't bother. And I won't either."

Rachel glared from over her coffee at the guy. He was feeling somewhat smug about the whole situation.

"Vanya, that's not fair.

"Fair? There's nothing fair about being your sister. I have been left out of everything for as long as I can remember. And I used to think it was Dad's fault, but he's dead. So, it turns out you're the assholes."

Vanya turned and left. The guy lingered for a second before following after her.

"Ouch," Klaus responded to the situation.

Allison looked back at them.

"I'm gonna go find Vanya and explain."

"No, wait, there isn't time," Luther said," We need to figure out what causes the apocalypse."

Allison reluctantly turned around and faced them all again.

"Now there are loads of possibilities. Nuclear war, asteroids. But I'm thinking this is about the Moon. Right? Dad must have sent me up there for a reason. And I was giving him daily updates on the conditions, I sent field samples. So, the first thing we need to do is find his research."

"Hold on. Hold the phone," Klaus interrupted," We all died fighting this thing the first time around. Remember?"

Rachel realized at that moment that the man hadn't left the house, but Vanya had and was waiting out on the street. Turning, she spotted him upstairs. She was about to make her way over to him when a loud noise sounded by the bar. Suddenly Five came out of nowhere and crashed onto the bar counter. Dust went up everywhere. All of them stumbled away from the area.

"Je-Jesus!" Allison shouted.

From his spot lying on the couch, Klaus looked around at them.

"You guys, am I still high, or do you see him, too?"

Five was lying on top of a giant black briefcase. Rachel rushed over to help him.

"Five, where have you been?" Luther asked.

Rachel, Luther, and Allison caught him as he fell off the bar.

"Are you all right?" the females questioned together.

"Who did this?" the big man demanded.

Five took the coffee cup out of Allison's hand.

"Irrelevant."

He limped off a way and drained the coffee as they all looked on. When he finished, he turned to them.

"So, the apocalypse is in three days. The only chance we have to save our world is, well, us."

"The Umbrella Academy."

"Yeah, but with me and Rachel, obviously. So, if y'all don't get your sideshow acts together and get over yourselves, we're screwed. Who cares if dad messed us up? Are we gonna let that define us? No. And to give us a fighting chance to see next week, I've come back with a lead."

Out of his pocket came a folded paper.

"I know who's responsible for the apocalypse," he continued handing the note to Allison," This is who we have to stop."

Rachel leaned in like Luther and Klaus did to read the note Allison opened. As they read, Five grabbed the coffee from Rachel's hand and began chugging it. The note was an Office Memorandum from The Commission. On it was a reassignment for Hazel and Cha-Cha to protect Harold Jenkins.

"Harold Jenkins?"

"Who the hell is Harold Jenkins?" Diego demanded.

Five finished with Rachel's coffee before tossing it behind him farther into the sitting room.

"I don't know…yet. But I do know that he's responsible for the apocalypse. So, we have to find him. And we have to do it now."

"How is he connected to what's gonna happen?" Luther questioned.

"I don't know."

"Wait, so you just know his name? That's it?" Diego stepped in.

"That's enough."

"There's probably dozens of Harold Jenkinses in the city."

"Well, we just better start looking, then."

Rachel couldn't ignore the man still inside range of her powers any longer and walked away from the conversation. In the foyer, she crossed his path. He looked at her, shuffling his arms awkwardly. She examined him through narrowed eyes.

"Oh, hello, young lady," he said, smiling at her.

She smiled sweetly back at him. Five would be proud as it was comparable to his fake smile.

"I'm sorry, in the midst of that small family drama unfolding back there I didn't catch your name."

"Ah, right. I-I'm Leonard Peabody. And you're Rachel Truesdale, right? Didn't you disappear for a long while?"

He held out his hand for her to shake, but she didn't return the gesture. Retracting his arm, he shuffled his arms again.

"Doesn't matter. I don't mean to be rude, Leonard, but what are you to Vanya exactly?"

Leonard looked toward the door, obviously wanting to bolt through it. He then turned back to her.

"It…is complicated. Probably the closest thing to compare it to is a boyfriend."

Rachel raised her eyebrows. Well that was certainly unfortunate.

"I see. Now…why, pray tell, are you in here…while she is out there."

He immediately lifted his coat.

"I forgot my jacket. I just had to run back and get it. I can be forgetful."

"Seems like such a quick little errand for someone who lingered in one spot longer than necessary. See, since you know my name, you might also recall that I sense feelings…and I don't quite like what I sense about you, Leonard. Relationships between Vanya and this family may be…strained…but I do love her very much. If you hurt her, I will kill you."

Leonard laughed awkwardly but saw that she was dead serious. His laugh died out.

"Well, that is good to know. I'm going to go meet her out there. It's raining, so we don't want her to get sick."

"No, I can tell you don't."

He gave her a second glance before mumbling a farewell and rushing out of the door. Rachel snarled at the closed door before going back into the sitting room. She came back in time to find Five yelling at his siblings. She wasn't surprised in the least as she took a seat on the couch.

"You know what else is insane? I look like a thirteen-year-old boy. Rachel can pinpoint people and their feelings. Klaus talks to the dead, and Luther thinks he's fooling everybody with that overcoat. Everything about us is insane. It always has been."

"He's got a point there," Klaus jumped in.

"We didn't choose this life; we're just living it. For the next three days, anyway."

"But the last time we tried to stop it, we all died. Why is this time any different? Why shouldn't I go home to my daughter?"

"Because this time, I'm here. We have the name of the man responsible. Guys, we actually have a chance of saving the lives of billions of people. Including Claire."

The room went silent.

"You know her name?" Allison asked, softly.

"I do, and I'd like to live long enough to meet her."

Rachel couldn't help but smile to herself. When reading Vanya's book, Five had been rather amused at the idea of being an Uncle. It was one of the few times he'd smiled reading the book.

"All right," Allison agreed," Let's get this bastard."

"You had me at Gerald Jenkins," Diego piped up.

"Harold Jenkins," Five corrected.

"Whatever. I've already lost two people this week, I'm not losing anyone else."

"And Luther?"

"Yeah, you go. I'm gonna stay behind and go through Dad's files. I still think this has something to do with why he sent me to the Moon."

Diego scoffed.

"Seriously? Now you wanna make the end of the world about you and Dad?"

"No. 'Watch for threats.' That's what he told me. You think that's a coincidence? This all has to be connected somehow."

Allison put a hand on Luther's arm.

"No, we should all stick together."

"We don't have time for this," Five reminded them.

"Let's roll," Diego said," I know where we can find this asshole. Klaus, you're with me."

Klaus sat up from where he was leaning on the couch.

"Yeah. I—I'm good," he waved them off," I think I'll, uh…I think I'll pass, I'm…feeling a little under the weather, so, uh…"

He marched his way out of the room. Rachel got up and followed Diego and Five out of the room. Allison wasn't too far behind them. Rachel watched Five limp a bit before reaching out to him.

"Do you need a minute to patch yourself up?" she asked," You don't look good."

"That's quite the insult for a lover to say."

Diego whipped around with his eyebrows lifted high.

"A what?! What is Dolores?"

Rachel waved a hand at him.

"Don't think too hard. It's so simple its complicated. I'm serious Five, are you injured. Is it your leg or anything else?"

"I'll be fine. Let's focus on finding this guy."

Rachel sighed. It didn't help knowing that he was feeling pain, but he was so determined that she couldn't stop him. Five got into the passenger seat as Diego got into the driver's side. The two females slid into the backseat.


	12. Chapter 11

As they made their way to the police station, Diego glanced back at Rachel every so often. She sensed his curiosity and raised an eyebrow at him. He cleared his throat.

"So, you and Five, huh?"

The boy scoffed from the front seat. Allison looked at Rachel in surprise.

"Really?"

"Why are you fixated on that right now?" Five snapped at his brother.

Diego shrugged.

"Even stuck together I…just never thought you two could hit it off. It's not like Five is particularly charming. Someone friendly and more sensitive seemed like your type."

Rachel considered his words with a nod.

"Sure, sure, but I was also thirteen and definitely subject to preference changes. As it turns out, that isn't really my type at all."

"So, you like sarcastic, dictatorial, and harsh?" Allison questioned.

"I am in the car," Five reminded them.

Rachel laughed.

"What is wrong with a little sarcasm? I like guys who are decisive, protectors, and considerate. Five hits those points with varying degrees."

Allison leaned forward.

"Five? Considerate? Really?!"

"Kill me now," Five groaned," Rachel, stop humoring them."

"Now I want to know what you like about her, Five," Diego jumped in.

"Stop," he replied.

"Oh, come on. She said nice things about you, you can't do the same?" Allison agreed.

"We are trying to stop the APOCALYPSE here."

"We're in the car driving to our only possible lead. You have time to say it."

"I like plenty of things about her. I _like_ that she isn't as nosy and pushy as my siblings, for instance."

Rachel grinned as Allison huffed and leaned back in her seat.

"Fine. Whatever. I suppose as long as you tell Rachel your feelings every once in a while, its none of our business. Though I'm curious, is it weird going from aging together to being thirteen again. Is it…creepy?"

"Not really," Five answered," We both know we're actually fifty-eight. What is the point of torturing ourselves over how we look right now?

Rachel shrugged.

"It's odd, but it's still Five. He has such a…strong…personality. It was a simple mistake in his calculations. We just need to make the best of it. Our business is our business."

Five looked extremely relieved when they parked by the police station. Diego looked back at them.

"I know this Jenkins dude has to have a record. We just gotta get our hands on this file," he said, undoing his seatbelt.

"And your plan is to what? Waltz in there and just ask for it?" Allison asked.

"I know the station like the back of my hand, sis. I've spent a lot of time inside."

"Handcuffed."

Rachel looked around at them before staring at Diego.

"Are you a criminal?"

"No, I just see justice differently. Whatever. Here's the plan."

"Plan?" Five questioned," I'm just gonna blink in and get the file."

Diego stared at him.

"No, that's not…You don't know the ins and outs of this place, okay?"

"I literally just did this yesterday."

"What?"

"_My_ yesterday, not your yesterday. It'll take me two seconds. Why don't I just go?"

"Listen to me. _You_ are not going in there. I made a call. That's what a leader does. He leads."

Five's eye caught Rachel's eye in the side mirror and she just grinned and shook her head at him. If he wanted to do it, why not?

"Have at it then, leader," Rachel told him.

Diego nodded seriously before leaving the car. Allison followed after him.

"Where are you going?" Five questioned.

His sister looked back at him.

"To that payphone over there. I need to call Vanya."

Rachel followed after Allison. Five soon appeared at her side. Five and Rachel stood back as Allison used the phone. As the two leaned against the building closest to the phone, Five leaned toward her slightly.

"You know…there really is plenty I like about you, right?"

Rachel looked over at him.

"Did what Allison say bother you?"

He looked uncomfortable as he shifted his weight.

"I just…I'd hate for something to happen to me and you are left wishing I'd told you more about how I felt. Or worse, questioned it. Especially because of Dolores."

The girl's eyebrow raised in surprise.

"You see Dolores as a problem in our relationship."

"Well, I don't want to phrase it as a 'problem' but its…complicated. I do like that you aren't nosy or pushy, but you're also a thousand times nicer than I am. You're generally a better and kinder person. I'm so screwed up and yet you seem…so bright."

Rachel turned slightly so she was leaning on her left shoulder while looking at him.

"Is everything okay? I'm not trying to suggest that you can't be nice unless you're worried about dying, I know that isn't true, but you are worrying me."

Five gave her the ghost of a smile.

"Well, the apocalypse is three days away. Don't want to leave too much unsaid, just in case."

Rachel didn't get to respond as it was then that Diego came up to them.

"So?" Five asked, pushing himself off the wall.

"You're welcome."

Allison grabbed the file out of his hands. Opening it up she stared at the file in shock.

"Holy shit."

"What?" Diego asked.

Allison turned the file toward them to show them a picture. Rachel's eyes popped open. It was the guy she'd spoken with only earlier that day, the one who came with Vanya. He'd literally been at the Academy. And the words convicted murderer jumped out at her on the page.

"Howard Jenkins is Leonard Peabody," Allison told them.

"And he killed his dad," Rachel noted.

The four of them all looked around at each other.

"But why?" Rachel asked," How does him dating Vanya fit into the apocalypse?"

Diego grabbed the file from Allison and scanned through it.

"We need to get to his address. Find Vanya and figure out what the hell he's up to."

They all raced back to the car. This trip was quieter and far more tense than the last one. As they reached his house, they were surprised by how nice and normal everything was. It was a simple house on a simple street. Getting out of the car, Allison shielded her eyes from the sun.

"Be careful, okay? We don't know what Peabody's capable of."

Diego surged toward the house in front of them.

"Yeah, he didn't seem dangerous when I first saw him. Looked kinda scrawny."

"Yeah, well, so are most serial killers and mass murderers."

Allison looked over at Five and Rachel.

"I mean, look at them."

They both looked over at her.

"Thanks," they replied in unison.

Deigo nodded. The ladies separated from the males by going around the side of the house. The guys went straight for the front door. Allison and Rachel tried windows as they went until they found one that was open. Allison helped boost the shorter girl through first before climbing in herself. Once they were inside, Five popped into existence at their side. As the three got to the front hallway, Diego flew through the glass window of the front door. His siblings walked past him as he lay groaning in the broken glass.

"Subtle," Allison judged.

Five opened the front door.

"You know, the door was unlocked."

The two ladies laughed at that realization. Rachel leaned down and stretched a hand out to brace his shoulder that was still in a sling so he could get up.

"Yeah, well, my way works just fine. Spread out. Yell if you, uh…you know, you're in trouble."

"Ah, inspiring leadership," Five mocked.

"One of the greats," Allison contributed.

Allison and Rachel went upstairs while Five checked out the downstairs with Diego. Rachel was going through a few bedrooms when there was a call from the attic.

"Guys, you need to see this," Allison called from upstairs.

As they crowded up into the attic, they found the woman in front of a cabinet filled with Umbrella Academy merchandise. A lot of posters, mugs, lunch boxes, and figurines were there, but they were all damaged.

"All our faces are burnt off," Allison noted, looking specifically at the figurines.

"Well, that's not creepy," Diego said," This guy's got some serious issues."

Both males leaned in and muttered "Shit."

Allison looked up at Rachel.

"This was never about Vanya. This was about us."

Rachel was distracted as Five's pain level spiked. She rushed forward as he collapsed on the ground.

"Five!" she shouted.

They all knelt around him. As he was clutching his side, Rachel moved his hand as Allison noticed blood and lifted his shirt. There was a nasty shrapnel wound on his stomach. Blood was all over his right side.

"What the hell happened at the Commission?" Rachel asked him.

"A lot…"

"Jesus, Five," Diego sighed," Why didn't you say anything?"

"You have to keep going," he strained out," So…close."

He closed his eyes, causing panic to rise in Rachel. Allison called out to her brother, trying to wake him. He'd completely passed out. The girl looked at Diego.

"Get him to the car. Right now!" she shouted.

Diego did as she demanded, picking him up in his arms. Rachel dashed passed them and held the doors as Allison did her best to hold his head up. Diego blew past speed limits getting them back to the Academy. Rachel sat in the back with Five's head on her lap, his legs on Allison. The girl stroked his hair to the side, silently wishing they could already be there. She tried to push soothing feelings onto Five, but knew she couldn't remove the physical pain.

"He'll be alright," Allison tried to reassure Rachel.

"I shouldn't have listened to him. I knew he was in pain…I just didn't…I'm never forceful enough with him. I let him get away with whatever he wants. I thought…we only have three days, it's probably fine. Its Five, he always scrapes through."

Allison put a hand on Rachel's shoulder as tears tumbled down the girl's face.

"This is _not_ your fault. You have to stay positive. Things never go well when you're upset. When we were kids, if you were sad or upset, we all were. If you were hopeful and happy, then we were too. You're like a ray of sunshine that we all needed every so often. Even Luther felt that way. So, stay positive, okay?"

Rachel bit her lip nervously but nodded and tried to convince herself it would all be okay. She'd hadn't yet found a moment to tell Five about his father's realization about her powers. She still wanted a chance to do so. Five's eyes fluttered open. He reached up and brushed at her cheek.

"Don't cry. It's not that bad."

Rachel leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead.

"You're such a liar," she told him, leaning up a bit," I can feel your pain, remember? I'm never ignoring it again no matter what you say. Even a sliver of pain is getting checked out immediately."

"A full body exam every time I feel pain? Sounds like a reward."

Rachel let out a soft laugh.

"How can you make that kind of joke right now, you jerk?"

At the Academy, Diego dragged Five out of the car by his legs while Allison lifted him by his torso. Rachel once again took on door duty. Moving quickly into the house, Allison grunted as she held her brother.

"We should have taken him to the hospital."

"A kid with a shrapnel wound might raise some questions," Five mumbled to her.

"Yeah, well, so does the murder shrine in Harold Jenkins' attic."

His siblings laid him down on the couch in the sitting room. Allison quickly took off her jacket to lay under Five's head.

"He's still losing blood, what do we do?"

"We gotta get the shrapnel out," Diego informed them.

Rachel looked around at them.

"I'm probably the most skilled with human anatomy as a former hitwoman. But I'm no surgeon."

Diego ignored her and was walking out of the room. The ladies watched him leave.

"Diego, where are you going?"

Allison and Rachel were shocked as he walked back in with his Mom. Relief flooded through Rachel. Grace rushed over to Five. She urged them to bring him up to his room. Once they'd done that, Grace started taking out the shrapnel and cleaning up Five's wound. Diego stood outside the room while Rachel sat on the other side of the bed from Grace and helped hand her supplies and clean up. She was also able to hook Five up to an IV. While that was going on, Allison tried to contact Vanya again. It was late into the night before Grace finished removing all the shrapnel, stitching up Five, and unhooking him from the IV. Rachel had fallen asleep at Five's side after cleaning up all the bloody gauze and medical equipment. Her eyes opened as Grace started rolling the empty IV bag away.

"Is he going to be okay now?" she asked, drowsily.

Grace smiled down at her and stroked the side of the girl's hair.

"He'll be just fine after a good night's rest. Just try and make sure he doesn't push himself too hard. I left out his pajamas at the foot of the bed if you can get him into them. There is a mint green set for you, too."

"One of those tasks is harder than the other," the girl muttered," Thank you, Grace."

"Of course."

Grace left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Rachel pushed herself up and out of the bed. Finding two sets of pajamas at the end of the bed, she changed into her set first before grabbing the soft blue pajama pants for Five. Sighing, she moved over to Five, who was still asleep.

"It's not that weird," Rachel told Dolores who sat in a chair off to the side of the bed," This isn't time for jokes."

She got as far as getting his pants on before Five's eyes opened. She had just been trying to lift him enough to slide the shirt under him to get his right arm.

"What are you doing?" he grumpily questioned.

"Dressing you, obviously."

Five's eyes widened more after he rubbed at them. He took in the fact that he was now wearing pajama pants and had half a shirt on.

"I'm used to you undressing me," he teased.

Rachel just grunted at his comment.

"Dolores already made that joke."

"I obviously missed it."

Five hissed as he tried to sit up. Rachel pushed him back down, but the movement was enough to for her to slip his arm into the sleeve.

"You rest. You need it."

Five just watched as Rachel buttoned up his shirt for him. Sensing a lot of warm feelings radiating from her partner, she looked up and smiled at him.

"What?" she asked.

"I don't know," Five told her softly," I just kind of thought of you doing this when we looked older. You know, when would have been in our late sixties or seventies and we would need to help each other with these sorts of things. It's just kind of funny that it is happening with us looking like teenagers."

The girl couldn't help but laugh.

"If we get past the apocalypse maybe we can grow old together…again. And actually get there. That is, if you'd still want me."

"I'll always want you."

She finished buttoning his shirt up before turning Dolores to face toward the door. Five raised an eyebrow at the action before Rachel turned and kissed him. She pulled away after a moment.

"Scare me like that again and I'll kill you myself," she told him, climbing over him carefully," I've put up with a lot of bullshit from you for as long as I've known you and that was the last straw."

A mischievous glint appeared in Five's eyes from her words.

"Oh, really? Old habits are hard to break, old lady."

"Shut up, old man."

She leaned forward, all her weight on her hands and knees as she kissed Five. It was passionate and needy. Rachel had to pull herself away after a few minutes. Five was ready to follow her, but she pushed him back by his chest.

"You need to sleep."

He scoffed at her.

"After that you tell me to go to bed? I'm in a teenage body, my hormones aren't exactly suggesting I sleep after that."

Rachel grinned and moved to the empty space on the bed she was previously occupying. She lay on her back beside Five.

"I feel the same way, but you need to heal if you're going to be of any use to your family in saving the world."

She put her hand in his.

"I'm glad you have a chance to save your family," she told him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you the chance to save yours."

Rachel looked up at him and squeezed his hand.

"You're all the family I need. Though I appreciate your siblings not questioning me being here."

Five closed his eyes and got a bit more comfortable in the bed by sliding down a bit. He flipped her hand, so her wrist showed. On her own left wrist was the Umbrella Academy tattoo.

"Yeah well, it's because you've always been family. You were bound to end up with one of us anyway. But it is quite the nice surprise that it was me."

The two of them both laughed quietly before finding slumber in their own time.


	13. Chapter 12

-Post-Apocalypse: Five Years-

The basement was more sheltered that Rachel had first expected. They'd stumbled upon a destroyed house out in the country just in sight of the main road Five led them along. They'd found the basement had survived the apocalypse for the most part, so they chose to make themselves at home. They never usually stopped in shelters, but as it was winter and freezing, so they decided it was for the best.

Having grown up in the city, it was the kind of house Rachel had always seen in films. The basement had an external exit to the back of the house. It was generally cold, but at least not damp or smelly. It had been used for storage and someone had been a carpenter as tools and a workbench were down there. Rachel tossed a log into the furnace they were using to heat the room. The girl let out a heavy sigh.

"I know he's been gone too long. But what am I supposed to do? He said he wanted to find more wood…God, yes, yes, I know. He didn't want us with him though. You know how he is…Ugh, okay, fine. I'll go. You're so pushy."

The young woman moved toward the metal doors to the outside just as Five appeared inside the room. With a heavy thump, a random pile of various wood dropped to the ground. Rachel yelped in surprise.

"P-Pulled together…what I-I could f-find…" Five told her through chattering teeth.

Now that she had a good look at him, she could see he was soaked from head to toe. Rushing toward him she wiped frozen water from his face as he shivered.

"What happened?" she demanded, rushing off to the cart for a cloth to dry him.

"F-Fell…pond out-out b-back…"

Rushing back with her desired item in hand, Rachel pulled off the numerous hats Five wore to keep warm before tossing the cloth over his head. Rubbing at his hair with one hand, she pulled him close to the furnace.

"Jeez, you're soaked through."

"N-No sh-shit."

Five tried to push her away as she began to strip layers of coats off him.

"Cut it out," she reprimanded," You can't stay in those wet rags. Let them dry. Take off your shoes and socks."

The male grumbled but did as she asked while pausing every so often as she pulled another layer of soaked clothing off him. Soon enough he stood there in just his underwear. Rachel turned back from fussing around in the cart with five blankets in hand. She pulled them all tightly around him.

"There, now take off the underwear, too."

She went around picked up the strewn clothing and placing them strategically around the room to hang or floor dry by the furnace. Five placed his own underwear, deciding he could do that much. He was then ushered to a spot just by the furnace. He continued shivering under the blankets as Rachel carefully continued to dry his hair. Five eyed her, wanting to say something but refraining as she worked at his long hair. Sighing, he pulled the blankets tighter around him. She was too good to him. Too nice. He didn't deserve her fretting or concern. Yet he couldn't bring himself to even push her away. He had started to rely on her kindness. She deserved someone who could give her the world. Instead, she had it taken away all because of his pride. He chose to just let her continue as he closed his eyes. He had to take her back one day…he just had to…

-Present: -

Rachel was up before Klaus's morning breakfast bell calling all family to breakfast for a meeting. She had a lengthy argument with Five about him not jumping them down to the kitchen while he insisted that it was better than him limping around as well as informing him about her powers. Five wasn't wholly surprised but was certainly impressed by the confirmation. When they arrived, Luther was hunched over at the breakfast table. Five walked in and took the coffee right out of Luther's hands before sitting down. Rachel took the seat to Five's left. She looked over at Luther to see him looking like he was going through a hangover. She raised an eyebrow as Klaus poured a coffee into an extra cup before the empty seat across from Five.

"Dead visitor?" she asked Klaus, bringing her coffee to her lips.

"Ben," he agreed cheerfully.

"Oh," Rachel said blinking at the spot," Hey, Ben. Really wish we could hang out more."

Klaus nodded.

"He says likewise."

Five gagged at that moment.

"Ah, Jesus. Who do I gotta kill to get a decent cup of coffee?"

"I can just make some from now on," Rachel offered," Just drink what Klaus made for today. It was out of love."

Klaus skipped over and took her face in his hands before kissing her forehead.

"That's why I love you, sis-in-law."

"Could you cut that out?" Five protested from his seat.

Luther sighed.

"Can we get started please?"

Klaus looked around.

"Anyone seen any of the others? Diego? Allison? No? All right, then, this is the closest thing to a quorum…"

He began banging on the table with a metal spatula. Rachel took a sip of her coffee. She grinned as Luther cringed. She really wondered what he had been up to last night to be in that state.

"…that we're gonna get. Now, listening up. There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna spit it out. Yeah."

He then stopped talking. Rachel and his brothers stared at him in confusion.

"Klaus," Luther seemed to pull him out of a stupor.

"I conjured Dad last night."

The room was quiet for a moment. Rachel leaned her elbows onto the table, hands still wrapped around the coffee cup.

"I thought you said you haven't been able to conjure anyone in years," Luther asked.

Rachel waved a hand at where Ben was supposedly sitting.

"Did you miss that we have a guest who has coffee? We had that discussion already."

"Ah, yes, I know, but I'm sober. Ta-da! I got clean, yesterday, to talk to someone special, and then ended up having this…conversation with dear old Daddy himself."

Luther shook his head.

"Has anyone got some aspirin?"

"Top shelf, next to the crackers," Five informed him.

"I'll get it," Rachel said, getting up.

"Hey, hey, hey. This is serious, guys, all right? This really happened, I swear."

"Okay, fine. I'll play. What did the old man have to say?" Five asked.

"Well, he gave me the usual lecture about my appearance and my failures in life. Yada yada yada. No surprise there. Even the afterlife couldn't soften a hardass like Dad, right?"

Rachel leaned across the table and put the aspirin down in front of Luther. The man's eyes were barely open. She then moved back to her seat as Klaus continued on with his story.

"But he did mention something about his murder, or lack thereof, because…he killed himself."

Luther's put his fist on the table with a sigh as Rachel frowned. He then stood up.

"I don't have time for your games, Klaus."

"I'm-I'm telling you the truth, Luther. I'm telling you the truth."

"Why'd he do it, then?" Five asked, holding his coffee cup in his hands.

"He said it was the only way to get us all home again."

"No. Dad wouldn't just kill himself," Luther defended.

Five made a face.

"Mm, you said it yourself. He was depressed. Holed up in his office and room all day and night."

"No. There weren't any signs. Suicidal people exhibit certain tendencies, strange behaviors."

"Like sending someone to the Moon for no reason?" Klaus suggested.

"I swear to God, Klaus, if you're lying…"

"I'm not. I'm not."

"Master Klaus is correct."

The all turned as Pogo came limping into the room.

"Regretfully…I helped Master Hargreeves enact his plan."

Rachel took a big gulp of her coffee. She didn't have enough caffeine in her system yet for this discussion. Klaus leaned forward on the table.

"What?" Luther asked, skeptical.

"So did Grace," Pogo went on," It was a difficult choice for both of us. More difficult than you could ever know. Prior to your father's death, Grace's programming was adjusted so that she was incapable of administering first aid on that fateful night."

"Sick bastard," Five mumbled.

"So, the security tape we saw?" Luther asked.

Rachel hadn't known about a security tape. That must have pushed Luther's idea of it being a murder.

"It was meant to further the murder mystery," Pogo confirmed," Your father hoped that being back here, solving it together…would reignite your desire to be a team again."

"And to what end?" Five asked.

"To save the world, of course."

Klaus let out a fake laugh.

"All right."

"First the Moon mission and now this," Luther shook his head," You watched me search for answers and said nothing. Anything else you want to share, Pogo? Any other damn secrets?"

Everyone told him to calm down, but he rebuffed all of their words.

"No, I won't calm down. We've been lied to by the one person in this family we all trusted."

"It was your father's dying wish, Master Luther," Pogo told him," I…I had no choice."

They all looked at Luther as he walked over to Pogo.

"There's always choice."

Luther then walked out of the room. Rachel sat back in her chair, her empty cup on her knee. Klaus sighed and put his head on the table. Five put his elbows on the table and ran his hands through his hair. Pogo left the room himself.

"I gotta think," Five announced before disappearing.

Rachel watched where he disappeared from.

"Alone, apparently," she mumbled.

She looked over at Klaus.

"I'm proud of you. For sobering up, finding this information out. That takes a lot of strength."

Klaus looked at her like a deer in headlights before smiling.

"You sure you want Five? You're much too nice for him."

The girl laughed before getting up and making her way upstairs slowly. Reaching Five's bedroom, she knocked.

"Can I come in or are you still thinking?"

"It's fine."

Rachel opened the door to find Five pacing the room. She smiled at the sight of him in his pajamas and slippers pacing back and forth.

"You're such an old man," she teased," What have you thought of?"

Five stopped his movement and pointed at her.

"He knew about the end of the world. He kept telling us that we were going to stop it. Why else would this all happen now?"

Rachel crossed her arms and leaned back on the door.

"Hmm, yeah, he was always odd. Rubbed off on you it seems. Maybe that is true, but I'm more concerned about if you're doing better."

"Mom is basically a medical professional, I'm fine."

"I would hope since she is a robot. So, planning to run out into action?"

She asked this as Five kicked off his slippers and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Yes, as soon as we're dressed."

Sighing, Rachel moved over to the unused stack of clothes she'd lifted from Gimbel Brothers. Finding a white button down and navy shorts with white lines on them, she couldn't help but be amused by how similar the outfit was to the Academy uniforms. As she began unbuttoning her shirt, she yelped as Five spacial jumped to appear behind her. She looked over her shoulder as his arms encircled her and he began to kiss her neck, pulling the pajama shirt collar away.

"What are you doing?" she giggled, squirming from the ticklishness but trying not to hurt him.

Five's hands found their way to her buttons and kept undoing them for her.

"I said we'd go as soon as we're dressed, but not how long that would take."

"Who are you and what have you done with my Five? You're injured, you can't be doing this."

Five turned her around, finished with her shirt. He pulled her to him by her waist as the shirt hung loosely on her shoulders.

"That's why I'm going to let you be in charge."

Rachel found that he'd abandoned his shirt already, having tossed it over Dolores for privacy. The bandages around his abdomen were so prominent.

"Oh, so I'm doing all the work?"

Five's hands moved up her back as he pulled her to him and began kissing her neck again.

"Well, you don't want my wound to reopen. And if it's our last few days, I'd like to think I got to be with you again before that."

Trying to keep her mind from zoning out from his touch, Rachel bit her lip.

"And it doesn't freak you out that we're in our thirteen-year-old bodies. The one where I'm a virgin still?"

"Worried about me taking it a second time? I at least know what I'm doing this time. Luckily, we know each other's likes preeeetty well by now. I'm still me, you're still you, and we're fifty-eight years old…just not visually."

One of his hands slipped up into her hair as he nipped at a soft spot on her neck he knew she had. She cried out on instinct, her left hand gripping his shoulder. Five chuckled, pulling back and grabbing her arm. He kissed from her fingertips to the tattoo on her wrist. Rachel swallowed hard as he looked up at her, lips still on her wrist.

"Please?"

Her eyes softened, remembering when she had been the one asking that same question around thirty-eight years ago. She flipped her wrist to take his hand and pulled him toward the bed, urging him to lie down. When he had, Rachel slipped off the pajama shirt and climbed on top of her partner.

"Do your best to not get _too_ into it, okay? I don't want to have to call your Mom in here because you reopened your wounds due to uncontrollable hormones."

Five grinned at Rachel as she leaned down and kissed him vigorously, taking the lead on their pleasure as he had suggested.


	14. Chapter 13

A little over an hour later, the two were showered, dressed, and making their way to Klaus's room. The conjurer of the dead was in his room, his door half open. Five knocked while walking in at the same time. Klaus was lying on his bed with a black ball of yarn on his chest. Rachel wasn't sure if he was actually knitting as one needle was stuck in the yarn.

"Hey. Get up. We're going," Five informed him.

"Where?"

"To save the world."

"Oh, is that all? Great. Now that you two have finished…"

Klaus made a suggestive growling noise with the roof of his mouth as he set aside his knitting and sat up in the bed.

"Looking at the two of you I feel as if I need to ground you for it."

Five picked up his usual pacing, unconcerned with his brother's comments. Rachel went ahead and took a seat at Klaus's desk, her face bright red. Despite the fact she was almost old enough to be a grandmother, she still felt embarrassed about Klaus knowing.

"So, Pogo said Dad killed himself to get us all back together, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Klaus asked, getting up and grabbing his shoes.

"So, it got me thinking. I had to jump to the future to figure out when it happened, but Dad, he can't time travel. So, how'd the crazy bastard actually know to kill himself a week before the end of the world?"

"Well, you know…" Klaus started.

"Don't answer," Five stopped him," That was purely rhetorical. Truth is, our whole lives, he's been telling us we'd save the world from an impending apocalypse."

"Yeah, but I always thought he just said that to scare us into doing the dishes."

"Me too. But what if the old man really knew what was going to happen?"

Klaus got up again and grabbed a shirt.

"Yeah, but knew how?"

"No idea. But the fact remains, his verkakte plan worked. We all came home."

Rachel blinked at Klaus as he sniffed his shirt, made a face, and still made to put it on.

"Since we're here, we might as well save the world," Five finished.

"Oh, yea? What, like, the three of us?" Klaus asked as he and Rachel followed Five out of the room.

"Uh, well, ideally no, but…gotta work with what I've got."

As they reached the hallway, Diego came running in while taking off his jacket.

"Where have you been?" Five asked.

"Jail."

"What?!" Rachel asked confused.

The three stopped in the hallway and watched him hurriedly rush around his room.

"Long story. Where's Luther?

"Haven't seen him since breakfast," Five responded.

"Yeah. Two days until the world ends, he picks a great time to drop off the grid," Klaus added.

Diego cursed. Strapping his knife vest to his torso he looked at the others.

"Allison is in danger."

The three receiving this news looked at each other in surprise.

"What kind of trouble?" Rachel asked.

"She went to Harold Jenkins's grandmother's address, which is the only other place he could be. She ended up going along because I got arrested for my friend's death."

"Okay, well, then we need to find Luther. Any ideas where he'd go?"

Klaus raised his hand.

"I might."

They found Luther inside a pub.

"Trying a little hair of the dog, are we? Hm?" Klaus asked his largest brother.

"Leave me alone," Luther whined at them all.

Diego sat down next to Luther.

"Give us a minute," he said, waving the others off.

Five gave him an exasperated look while Rachel and Klaus looked at each other.

"Okay. Come on. Maybe they'll brood each other to death," Klaus said.

The three of them moved off to a table on the side of the pub before leaning on it and watching the two. Rachel's eyes popped open as Luther stumbled up out of his seat after about two minutes.

"You should have led with that! Jesus Christ."

Number One's drinking clearly made him unsteady, but he stumbled his way to the door. The others quickly followed him out. Rachel got awkwardly squished in between Luther and Diego since she was the smallest and Five insisted on driving. They then made their way to the cabin listed in the file. Luther kept asking Five to go faster, each time causing Rachel to have to lean into Diego to avoid getting smacked by his ginormous ape arms. Five finally ended it by threatening to burn him with the cigarette lighter.

When they arrived, Luther was the first out of the car. Bursting through the door, those behind him could her him shout.

"Allison! No!"

Coming into the room, Rachel covered her mouth in shock. Allison say on the ground in a pool of her own blood. A slice across her throat was open for all to see. Luther held her body and cried. Rachel sensed no other emotions at the cabin than those in the room, meaning no one else was there. Turning to all the shocked men, she started barking orders.

"Guys, no one else is here. We need to get Allison to Grace immediately. Luther, bring her to the car. Someone find something to brace against her throat to stop the bleeding, but please don't strangle her."

The guys all seemed to come out of their stupor and rushed into action. Five sprinted back to the driver's seat while Luther and Diego aided Allison to the car. Klaus and Rachel squished into the front passenger seat together. Rachel was getting really tired of these high-speed rushes to the Academy to save people's lives.

"Come on! Let's go!" Five shouted to them.

Klaus and Rachel tumbled out of the car awkwardly.

"I don't think she's breathing," Luther said, carrying her by her arms as Klaus ran around to grab her legs.

Rachel rushed through the door after them. Diego ran to find Grace while they brought Allison to their father's operation room. Once everyone was assembled in the room, Five kept pressure to her throat while Grace examined her.

"She suffered a severe laceration to her larynx," Grace noted," One of you will need to give blood."

All of them offered, but Luther spoke over all of them.

"I'm doing it."

Pogo stepped in at that point.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, dear boy. Your blood is more compatible with mine."

"Hey, don't sweat it. I-I got this, big guy," Klaus said.

He ran around the table and held his arm out to Grace.

"I-I love needles."

"Master Klaus," Pogo interrupted," Your blood is…How shall I say this? Too polluted."

Rachel rubbed her forehead and looked at Five.

"Before you offer again, you lost too much blood the other day and shouldn't be giving up more."

Everyone looked at Diego.

"Move," he said, moving around the table," I'll do it."

As soon as Grace pulled out the needle, Diego whimpered and hit the floor.

"Whoa!" Klaus shouted in surprise.

Rachel leaned over to see him completely passed out on the floor.

"A guy who stabs people with knives is afraid of needles…yeah, why not?" she commented.

Pogo nodded at Grace.

"Stick him."

After Diego came around and Grace stitched up Allison's neck, Luther volunteered to stay with her so the others could figure out what to do next.


	15. Chapter 14

It was the early hours of the morning so Five and Rachel went down to the sitting room immediately after washing their hands of Allison's blood. Rachel sat on the couch with a sigh.

"You think we could have saved her if we didn't…you know?"

Five clenched his jaw and sat next to Rachel.

"No, we had no idea where she went. We only would have found out once Diego got back and we met him as soon as he did."

Rachel lay her head on Five's shoulder.

"What a mess," the girl noted," How the hell are we going to find them now…?"

It was then that Klaus came in and sat on the couch across from them. Five got up from the couch and walked toward the fireplace.

"Oh, no, don't let me stop you from being lovebirds," he told them.

Rachel was about the speak when Diego came in.

"That bastard that nearly killed our sister's still out there, with Vanya. We need to go after her."

"Vanya is not important," Five interjected.

Rachel looked up at him in astonishment as he limped back toward the couch. Luckily Diego spoke out first.

"Hey, that's your sister. A little heartless even for you, Five."

"I'm not saying I don't care about her, but if the apocalypse happens today, she dies along with the other seven billion of us. Harold Jenkins is our first priority."

Diego looked at Rachel who just sighed and shook her head. He had a point.

"I agree. Let's go," Diego said.

"You guys count me out," Klaus suddenly said," I mean, you know, no offense or whatever. It's just…I kind of feel like this is a whole lot of pressure for newly-sober me, so…"

"You're coming," Diego commanded.

"No, no, no. I mean, I think we can all agree that my power's…I mean, it's pretty much useless. I'd just be holding you guys back."

Rachel got up from the couch and pointed to herself.

"And mine isn't? Yet I'm still going."

"You? Useless? You can sense people a mile away and know who they are after meeting them once based on familiarity. You are also a killer."

Rachel sighed and leaned her head back.

"Klaus, get up," Five told him.

"You can't make me."

Before anyone could even blink, Diego tossed a knife that buried itself in the couch by Klaus's crotch. Klaus sighed.

"Oh, then again, I little exercise couldn't hurt. Yeah."

The four of them figured that Harold Jenkins would take Vanya back to his place. When they got there, they found him, but not alive.

"It's not exactly what I was expecting," Klaus noted.

They were staring at the dead Harold Jenkins run through with just about every sharp object in his house. Even some that aren't necessarily sharp.

"The understatement of the year," Five joined in.

"No sign of Vanya?" Klaus asked.

Rachel shook her head.

"Nope."

"Let's get out of here, before the cops come," Diego noted.

As Klaus and Diego turned to leave, Rachel watched Five step toward Harold Jenkins.

"In a minute," Five told them.

They watched as he pulled the eyeball he'd been carrying for 45 years out of his pocket. He tugged back the bandage on Harold's eye, which showed an empty socket.

"Come on, Five, what are you…"

Klaus came over for a closer look with Rachel.

"Ugh, wow," he commented as Five stuck the eyeball in the socket.

Diego retched into a corner from behind them. Rachel glanced back at him.

"Better clean up that DNA evidence."

Five leaned over and looked at his work.

"Same eye color, same pupil size. Guys this is it. The eye I've been carrying around for decades, it—It's found its rightful home."

Five reached out and took the eyeball back.

"We got the guy we needed to kill to stop the apocalypse," Diego told them.

"Yay!" Klaus sang," Let's go."

As he turned to leave, Diego grabbed the back of the jean vest he was wearing to keep him there.

"No, no," Five murmured," Wait, wait. It can't be this easy. Look, this is the note that I got from the Commission. The one that says, 'Protect Harold Jenkins,' aka Leonard Peabody."

"Yeah?" Diego asked.

"But who killed him? Who did this?"

"I have a crazy idea," Klaus spoke up," Crazy, but why don't we find Vanya…"

Rachel suddenly found herself outside the house. She turned at Five and pushed his shoulder.

"You know, you could at least hear your brother out sometimes."

"They're coming out now."

He was right. Diego and Klaus ran out and they all decided that going back to the Academy to check for Vanya would be the best plan. After they all checked the building top to bottom, Diego, Five, Klaus, and Rachel met up upstairs.

"No sign of Vanya," Five reported.

"She's not in any of the rooms," Diego told them

"She's not downstairs, either," Klaus added.

Rachel informed them that the girl was not outside or a mile within reach.

"Well, I'm out," Diego said to them.

Klaus turned as his brother put a hand on his shoulder. They all were confused by him just leaving.

"Where are you going? Vanya's still out there, and so are Hazel and Cha-Cha," Five reminded Diego.

"I know," he said, turning back," I'm gonna get my things and then I'm outta here. I got some unfinished business with those fools."

Rachel and Klaus both leaned against the railings. They looked at each other from across the way when Five backed up into their line of view to ask Klaus a question.

"Hey, did Dad say anything about the apocalypse when you spoke to him? Any clues as to how it happened?"

"No. No clues. Truly terrific shave. But no clues."

Rachel really wondered what his powers must be like to have his dead Dad shave his face while talking to him. Five on the other hand was just too irritated to formulate another sentence. He instead chose to storm off. Klaus followed after him down the stairs. Rachel sauntered after them.

"You know, come to think of it, he did mention something about my potential, and how I've barely even scratched the surface of my—"

"How did he know about the apocalypse?" Five interrupted.

"I don't know, but listen," Klaus tried to get him back on his track," This whole jumping through time thing of yours, how did…how did you know how to do that?"

The group stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"I didn't. You'd realize that if you were actually sober."

Five kept moving toward the sitting room. Rachel took a seat on the stairs. She wasn't about to interrupt a brotherly feud.

"Hey, I _am_ sober. I've been sober for two—almost two days now."

"Yeah, two days."

"It feels like forty-five years."

"Who are you kidding, Klaus? I've seen you fidgeting all day."

"Well, I guess we're both fighting our addictions, then."

"I'm not an addict."

"Yeah, you are. You're addicted to a drug called the apocalypse."

"You're wrong."

"First sign. Denial."

Klaus turned and began walking away but Five spacial jumped to be in front of him.

"You and I, we're not the same."

"I've seen that look in the eye of someone who doesn't know who they are without their high anymore. Trust me. You gotta just let it go."

Rachel almost slipped off the step in surprise as Five suddenly threw the glass eyeball at the wall, making it shatter into fine little pieces. He then stomped off to the sitting room.

"Figuratively, but yeah, that works, too," Klaus commented.

Rachel eased herself off the stairs as Klaus muttered 'One day at a time' to himself. She went up and put her hand on his elbow.

"It'll get better with time. As long as you keep trying."

Klaus looked down at her and chuckled.

"You two embody the concept of good cop, bad cop, you know?"

Rachel sucked in air through her teeth and nodded.

"Yeah, that was kind of how we did some jobs. Well, I'm going to go stop him from drinking himself under the table."

She casually made her way into the sitting room to find Five working behind the liquor bar. She saw that Five had jumped upstairs to get Dolores who was now sitting on the bar counter. Jazz music played on the vinyl player. Sitting down in front of Dolores, she tapped the bar.

"Anything special today, barkeep?" she teased.

"Margaritas," he told her seriously.

She watched patiently as he made drinks for himself, Dolores, and her. Each of them even got little umbrellas and straws.

"Cute," she noted, taking a sip.

As Five sat down beside her, he sighed.

"Well, do you think we really did it? Think we actually stopped the apocalypse?"

Five was good at looking at who he was talking to when asking questions, so she knew the question was aimed at Dolores. Since Klaus lined him up perfectly for an existential crisis, she just sat back and watched him talk it through.

"Now what? I don't know. I'm open to suggestions."

At that comment, he glanced at Rachel.

"I can think of a few, but maybe after the visitor leaves."

Five looked at her in confusion just as a loud knock from the front door reached their ears.

"Eh, I'll get it," he said, taking his drink with him.

As she sipped her drink and waited, she almost slipped off her chair seeing Hazel walk in. As Five wasn't armed, she didn't attack. She was alert though, as Hazel held a gun. He didn't have any aggressive emotions though, so she didn't need to worry yet.

"You here to kill us?" Five asked, taking his seat again.

"Oh. Shit. Sorry. Old habits."

With that Hazel put his gun away.

"Well, I can understand why you might feel that way, you know…"

"Well, you attacked our house, tried to kill my family, and kidnapped my brother."

"Well, there's not much I can do about the past. Don't forget I'm not the only killer in this room. You two got your own bloody histories, pal. Speaking of which, that job you did in Calhoun, that shit's legendary. Can't believe I'm actually sittin' here talkin' to you, after all-"

Five cut him short, thankfully. Rachel sipped her drink, musing about how Five really didn't need his ego stroked under any circumstance.

"Hazel, why are you here?"

Rachel glanced out into the foyer and cursed under her breath. She'd been hoping a particular someone in the house wouldn't notice Hazel's arrival. Before the assassin could say much Deigo came flying into the room and kicked him in the back.

"Diego, stop!" Five shouted.

Rachel made an impressed face as Diego flipped over Hazel.

"Get up!" he growled.

He then began kicking and punching with intent to kill.

"You know," Five sighed," before you kill him, you might wanna hear what he has to say."

Hazel finally fought back, knocking Diego down.

"Oh, it just got serious," Rachel commented.

"I'm gonna kill you for what you did to Patch," he told Hazel.

"Or don't, see how that goes."

As Five leaned back against the bar, Rachel tilted her head at him.

"How far are you going to let this escalate?"

"Eh," Five responded, waving a hand at them.

Rachel rolled her eyes and looked back at the fight. When Diego got a knife into Hazel's thigh, they both grimaced.

"Oooh, that's gotta hurt," Five commented.

The girl beside him nodded as Diego pulled out some good moves.

"Huh, he's gotten a lot better over the years."

Five threw her a look.

"Stop being attracted to my brother right now."

"You don't know if I am. You can't read my feelings."

"I can read your tone. He's too young for you, so stop."

The two were both stunned when Diego bit Hazel's ear after being grabbed. Rachel grit her teeth.

"Yeah, that's not so attractive. Youthful lack of class."

Five took a quick sip of his margarita before jumping over to the couch and knocking his brother out with a glass vase.

"I draw the line at biting," Five sighed, stepping off the couch.

As he limped back over to the bar, he looked over at the hitman.

"Hazel, whatever you came here to say, I suggest you make it quick, before he comes round."

He took Five's words to heart and immediately told them.

"I left my partner, quit the Commission, came to volunteer."

"For what?" Rachel asked.

"To help stop the apocalypse," Hazel informed them, dusting glass off his shoulder.

Five chuckled while Rachel went back to her drink.

"What on earth could be so funny to you right now?"

"Before I answer that, why do you wanna help us?"

"Let's just say I have a vested interest in a doughnut shop."

Rachel cooed at him.

"Aw, he's in love."

She was amused by Hazel's ears going red. Five grinned.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, pal, but you're a day late and a dollar short. The fact that you're here right now means, without a shadow of a doubt, that the apocalypse is over."

"Really? How do you know?" Hazel questioned.

"The mark is dead. Found him this morning. You were the last known unknown left in the equation."

Hazel breathed out.

"Shit. Really?"

"Mm-hmm. And if you're out, then Hellrider ain't riding."

It was cute to watch him have a little mini celebration from the news. He then moved to the bar and sat down beside Five. He took the rest of the margarita from the blender and drained it.

"So now what?" Hazel asked them.

"You know, to be honest, I don't know. I've been chasing this thing for so long, I…I never really thought about the day after. I don't know. What about you?"

"I'm done with all this madness. Time to start over. You should do the same."

"That's easier said than done."

"It doesn't have to be hard. I mean, think about it like this. If you never time traveled, you never got caught up with the Handler, what would have happened?"

Five glanced over at Rachel who raised her eyebrows at him. She couldn't tell what he was thinking based off his emotions which didn't shift. It frustrated her. He then turned and looked at Diego.

"I guess I would have grown up to be an emotionally stunted man-child like everybody else around here."

Both Rachel and Hazel laughed.

"Well, there you go. Now you can grow up," Hazel said," Good luck."

Five turned and looked between Dolores and Rachel before turning.

"Hazel."

"One more thing before you go."

"Shoot."

"Which one of you was the trigger man for Detective Patch?"

"Trigger woman."

"Huh. That's too bad. That gun could have cleared my brother's name."

Hazel rummaged around behind him and pulled out the gun from earlier and another one.

"Well, today is your lucky day, amigo."

He lay the guns on the bar.

"Take 'em both. I'm done with this life."

Rachel turned as he did.

"Good luck, Hazel. To you and your sweetheart."

He gave her a smile before leaving the Academy. Five turned back to face Diego. As Rachel did the same, Five spoke to her.

"I'm going out later. Do you mind waiting here for me?"

The girl examined his face. His emotions were quite mixed up suddenly for someone who did what he'd set out to do. She supposed getting a new sense of what to do after 45 years of hoping and trying would be hard.

"I'll always wait for you. Just, don't come back with another wound for Grace to patch up."

Five put a hand on her knee.

"You don't need to worry."

It was then that Diego groaned and stood up after his short nap on the floor.

"Good," Five smiled," You're up. Ready for a drink now?"

Diego looked at the two of them in confusion before leaping to his feet. He looked around for Hazel.

"Where is he?"

"I let him go," Five said, calmly.

Diego stalked toward him.

"You what?"

"Now that the apocalypse is over, it's time for the fighting to stop."

Diego turned and picked up his abandoned knives.

"Hey, he didn't kill Patch. His partner Cha-Cha did."

"So what? They were both there that night."

Rachel sighed and put down her empty glass.

"This half of the partnership gave me both of their guns," Five informed his brother," Which will clear you, because the ballistics will match Patch's crime scene. Hazel came here looking for a way out. He wanted a fresh start. And he happened to have in his possession the one thing that could do our family a little good. So, it's time to move on."

"Not a chance," Diego hissed.

Five clenched his jaw before getting up and grabbing Dolores.

"Suit yourself. I am curious. Your girlfriend, Patch. What did you like about her?"

Diego turned to his brother while Rachel got up and started cleaning up the bar.

"A lot of things. Cute butt. Nice legs."

Rachel made a strangled noise in her throat from behind the bar. Men could be so simple.

"Anything a little more profound than that?" Five questioned, judgement in his tone.

"She believed in people. No matter how much shit and filth she saw on the streets. She always saw the good inside."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be proud to know that you're killing Hazel and Cha-Cha as a way to honor her memory."

With that, Five walked off. Rachel slowly wiped the bar as she watched Diego process that thought. He turned and looked at the guns left behind. Rachel gave him a gentle smile.

"Dolores didn't want her margarita, if you feel you need one."

Diego sighed and sat at the bar, grabbing the one that was for Dolores.

"Seems you two are wiser than me when it comes to…relationships."

"Mmm, we've got…twenty or so years more of experience? It just makes it hurt a bit more when wisdom comes out of the mouth of someone who looks so young. The fact that you two are siblings doesn't help. Aside from our age differences and experiences, it seems your taste in what you find attractive about a woman, personality-wise, hasn't changed. I remember when a little Diego gave me a compliment like that."

Diego's eyebrows lifted.

"You remember that? Wait, you knew-?"

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him in return.

"I could feel you liked me, Diego. Your actions showed it, too. Patch…it seems like she was good for you. It is good to be close like that with someone. Once this bar is clean, do you mind…telling me about her?"

Diego gave her a small smile and nodded.

"I'd like that a lot."

They took a walk that lasted a couple hours as they took their time.


	16. Chapter 15

When Rachel and Diego got back, Luther asked them to come downstairs. Klaus had been summoned as well. Rachel hadn't been down in the basement much, but she didn't know at all about the place Luther took them which was even lower. It was dark, cold, and contained a rusty vault. When they got down there, the vault contained Vanya who was shouting to get out. Luther had told them that Allison was up, but he hadn't mentioned anything about locking up Vanya. Rachel rushed toward the door. She hadn't been able to feel anything as the container seemed to dampen her powers. She could only feel the faintest amount of distress coming from the girl as she stood on the other side of the window from Vanya. As the woman was screaming and slamming on the door, what reached Rachel was definitely not accurate.

"What have you done?!" Rachel exclaimed.

Luther pushed her back slightly.

"Vanya has powers."

"You locked up our sister because you think she has powers?" Diego asked.

"No, I know she does. Pogo told me. He's always known, and so did Dad."

"Why would they hide this from us? I mean, am I the only one that didn't know this place existed?"

"He hid so much from us," Klaus said, shaken.

"He hid it because he was afraid…of her."

"Oh, that's ridiculous."

"Is it? Dad's lied about everything else, why is this so far-fetched?"

Diego sighed.

"If you're right, then maybe she's the one who killed Peabody."

"And cut Allison's throat."

"Whoa, no," Klaus protested," Let's…I ju—Sorry, just, let's go back, all right? This is Vanya we're talking about. Our sister. The one who always cried when we stepped on ants as kids."

"Yeah, I know. I know it's difficult to accept—"

Klaus stamped his foot.

"It's not difficult to accept, it's impossible to accept."

Rachel looked up at him.

"Luther, this is Vanya. Even if she does have powers, how will this help?! Look at her!"

The girl was banging desperately on the door.

"No, They're right. Look, we can't keep her locked up without proof," Diego said.

"Wh—What more proof do you need?" Luther demanded.

"Why don't we just open the door and ask her?" Klaus suggested.

Rachel pointed at Klaus.

"Yes, you can't just lock someone up without letting them have a chance to explain their side. Even the justice system works like that! Most of the time…"

"No, she's not goin' anywhere."

"No, even if you're right, she needs our help," Diego argued," and we can't do that if she's locked in a cage."

"Yeah, and for all we know, she might be struggling with this new power. I mean, it must be scary. Terrifying, really, to discover that you can do something that you never thought you could do."

"Look, if what Pogo told me is even half true, then she is not just a danger to us."

"Why are you so damn stubborn, Luther? Have some compassion! She's your sister."

The boys turned hearing footsteps. Rachel just looked over, knowing it was Allison. Luther fully turned in surprise.

"Allison, what are you doing down here? You should be in bed."

Allison began writing on a notepad in her hands. She wrote clearly 'Let her go' and held it up to them.

"I can't do that. She hurt you."

Allison flipped the page and wrote again. This time she wrote 'My fault.' This time they could see Allison was ready to cry.

"I'm sorry, but she's staying put."

Allison shook her head and moved toward the vault. Luther stopped her.

"Just until we know what we're dealing with."

Allison continued to try and get around him. When he wouldn't let her, she pushed him hard, twice.

"She stays put," he said firmly to all of them.

Rachel turned away, tears in her eyes.

"This…this is your fault," she told Luther," She could explain and if she blames you…Hell, if she blames all of us…know that it was your fault."

Rachel walked away with Klaus and Diego as Allison continued to try and get past Luther. Going upstairs to Five's room, Rachel crawled out the window and sat on the fire escape. Sighing she looked up at the sky. They'd stopped the apocalypse yet found out that Vanya had powers. Sweet, innocent, kind Vanya who loved her siblings, best friend, and the violin. And not just powers, powers that are deadly. Rachel knew what Luther was doing was wrong. She could imagine Vanya's heart breaking floors below her. She had to be scared, scarred, and confused. Who wouldn't be? Rachel balled her hands into fists, wishing she could feel Vanya's emotions. Even soothe them. But that vault was basically solitary confinement for those with superpowers. How could Sir Reginald Hargreeves build that horrible container? She wondered if Five could get Vanya out when he got back.

While Rachel tried to figure out how to tell Five about this, a sudden emotion burned white hot through her. She cried out in surprise, feeling like she'd been scalded by a pillar of fire. Rage. Hatred. White hot. They flowed from Vanya. She tried to push it away, but it was far too strong. Rachel jumped up and moved inside just as a tremor shook the house. The girl bumped into the desk from its force. She continued toward the door to find the others when another tremor shook them. Getting down the stairs to the other bedrooms, she spotted Klaus and Diego in the hallway. Pogo was nearby, against a wall.

"Vanya," Pogo told them," We need to get to safety outside the Academy."

They all looked around at each other before Rachel ran back up the stairs. She waited at the top for Luther and Allison so the three of them could get out together. Luther and Rachel pulled the still healing woman forward. They passed Pogo distracting Vanya so they could all get out. At the front door, Luther pushed Allison and Rachel out so they could go first. Rachel ushered them around the side of the house to get away from the front where Vanya was sure to leave from. Once the house completely crumbled, they stared blankly before Luther kept them moving with Rachel acting as a crutch for Allison. They met Klaus and Diego where the back had been.

"What about Pogo?" Diego was asking Klaus.

"He didn't make it," Luther answered.

"What?"

"Vanya killed him," he told them all.

Allison eased herself away from Rachel too look at the carnage. Rachel took a shaky breath as she felt Vanya's emotions get farther and farther away from the house.

"But Vanya wouldn't—" Diego tried to argue.

"No, I saw it. Just before we got out."

Rachel looked around at the devastation and squatted down. She was having a déjà vu moment of the Academy in ruins. Fires everywhere. Only this time the Hargreeves were still living. She ran her hands along her knees, rubbing them to distract herself.

"Guys," a voice called out behind them.

Rachel shot up from her position. Five rushed to her and pulled her close.

"What happened?" he asked her softly.

"Vanya…has powers. She did this."

Five stared at her hard before looking away. He kept her at his side as he waved a newspaper at his siblings.

"This is it. The apocalypse is still on. The world ends today."

Luther stepped toward him.

"I thought you said it was over."

"I was wrong, okay? This newspaper, I found it in the future the day we got stuck. The headline hasn't changed."

"No, that doesn't mean anything," Diego shook his head," The time could've been altered since that newspaper came out this morning."

Rachel sighed from Five's side. It all just kept piling on. Knowing her well, Five rubbed her back with the hand that rested there, urging her to stay focused.

"You're not listening to me," Five insisted," When I found it, I assumed this place came down along with everything else. But here we are. The Moon's still shining, the Earth is in one piece, but not the Academy."

Rachel glanced out toward the road. Law enforcement was on the way. She tried to get Five's attention, but Klaus grabbed the newspaper from his hand and started thumbing through it.

"I'm confused."

"Then listen to me, you idiot! Vanya destroys the Academy before the apocalypse. I thought Harold Jenkins was the cause, but he was the fuse. Vanya is the bomb. Vanya causes the apocalypse."

Sirens and helicopters came within earshot of the group.

"We have to find her," Luther announced.

It was then that a helicopter light shined down, blinding them.

"We gotta go, now," Diego told them," Regroup at the Super Star. Go!"

Five pulled Rachel closer and spacial jumped them out of the area.


	17. Chapter 16

They were, of course, the first two to arrive at the Super Star, which was a bowling alley. Rachel had been there several times with her parents. She'd even had a birthday here that the Academy kids had been allowed to attend. It was one of those few exciting memories for the siblings. As they stood to the side of the building, just in a side alley, Five pulled Rachel into a tight embrace.

"I thought I'd lost you when I got back and found the building destroyed."

He pulled back and put a hand to her face.

"Are you hurt?"

Rachel shook her head against his hand.

"No…but Pogo and your Mom are dead. I'm sorry."

Five nodded with a heavy sigh. Rachel glanced around and pulled her head away from Five.

"Where's Dolores?"

Five looked away from her before looking into her eyes.

"Thought I was starting new…getting a new chance at life. I figured I'd do it right this time."

Rachel frowned at him, unsure what he was saying. Five let out a chuckle.

"You've said it before…Dolores was a crutch. One that…I am too emotionally attached to, I agree. I didn't need to…focus on her. If I hadn't felt guilty…you wouldn't have had to feel like you were any less of a woman. If we have a future, a second chance, I only need you. If…you still want me for another lifetime."

Rachel's face broke into a smile.

"Five! Is that a marriage proposal?"

He laughed and leaned his forehead against hers.

"I kind of meant it as a way of recommitting myself to you, but if you want to take it as that it saves me from asking later down the road."

Thrilled, Rachel leaned forward and kissed her partner. They'd been kissing for a few minutes when footsteps ran by them before slowing.

"Seriously? Right here, right now?"

They looked over to see Diego looking at them with disgust. The two separated. Five patted his brother's shoulder.

"Jealously is unbecoming."

"I'm not jealous when she looks thirteen. That'd be criminal."

The three of them met up with the others out front before going in and purchasing a bowling lane. Five and Rachel sat facing the lanes, Luther sat to their left with Allison sitting on the back of the chair beside him. Diego was to their right while Klaus sat beside him facing Five.

"Look, I hate to be the one to say this, but everyone needs to prepare," Luther told them.

"For what?" Diego demanded.

"To do whatever it takes to stop Vanya."

Allison hit him with her notebook.

"I—We may not have a choice, Allison."

"Bullshit," Diego said for his sister," There's always options."

"Yeah, like what?" Five insisted.

Rachel looked over at him in surprise.

"I don't know," Diego answered.

"Uh, talking, knocking her out so we can talk, apologizing?" Rachel suggested.

Luther sighed.

"Look, whatever we decide, we need to find Vanya. And fast, okay? She could be anywhere."

"Or…here," Klaus said, shaking the newspaper," Look at this."

Putting it down, he spread it out so everyone could see an advertisement in the paper. Everyone crowded around to see Vanya on a poster for the St. Pluvium Chamber Orchestra with her as the main violinist.

"That's right," Diego seemed to remember," Her concert is tonight."

"Hello."

They all looked up as a worker for the alley stood before them with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore the company's light blue polo. Her name tag read 'Midge.'

"I hate to intrude, but my manager says if you're not gonna bowl, you gotta leave."

They could all see the manager staring at them in annoyance.

"Whose turn is it?" Diego asked.

"Oh, for…" Luther picked up a pink bowling ball and tossed it.

It flew behind him, about three lanes over from where they were before getting a strike. Rachel have a light clap.

"Remind me not to play seriously against you," she quipped.

Allison tapped her notepad at Luther. As she was behind Rachel, she had to turn to see that it read 'She's our sister.'

"We're the only ones capable of stopping this," Luther told her," We have a responsibility to Dad."

Diego turned around enraged.

"To Dad? No, I've heard enough about—"

"He sacrificed everything to bring us back together," Luther stopped him.

"I'm with Luther on this one," Five admitted," We can't give her a chance to fight back. There are billions of lives at stake. We're past trying to save just one."

Rachel rubbed her knees and rocked back and forth a bit.

"But its Vanya," she looked around at them," _Our _Vanya. We…there has to be a way to reach her."

"Hey, you know, guys, uh…" Klaus suddenly spoke up," Maybe I could help."

"Now is not the time," Luther started.

"No, let him finish," Diego said to the shock of everyone," He saved my life today."

Klaus stood up.

"Is that true?" Luther asked surprised.

"Yeah, yeah, I did…take credit for it but, in fact, the real hero…was Ben."

Everyone stared at him in various degrees of confusion and annoyance.

"Today…Listen," Klaus sighed," Today, he punched me in the face. And earlier at the house, he was the one who saved Diego's life, not me."

"You are unbelievable, Klaus," Luther told him angrily.

"You want proof, is that it? All right. I—I'll give you proof."

He picked up a pink bowling ball and turned toward Five. Rachel's eyes widened as Five looked at her.

"All right," Klaus said," it's showtime, baby. Catch!"

He then tossed the bowling ball. Five slid toward Rachel to avoid getting hit, causing her to hop into the next seat over. The bowling ball hit the ground behind where Five had been. Rachel sighed. She'd really been rooting for him. Everyone looked at Klaus. That had been the last straw. No one would ever take him seriously again.

"Is there any way to silence that voice in your head that screams out to be the center of attention?" Luther asked.

"You know, I liked you a lot better before you got laid," Klaus snapped.

Everyone turned to the big guy in surprise. The guy had walked around wound tighter than any spring, so he'd obviously been a virgin until recently. Klaus tried to backtrack.

"Which was a complete…It—It wasn't his fault, 'cause he was ridiculously high, right? And—And the girl, she thought he was a furry…"

"Stop!" Luther cut in, horrified.

"Okay."

Luther slowly turned to look at Allison. Rachel covered her mouth to keep her amusement hidden.

"Allison, wait," he said, following after the woman as she walked away.

Five looked beyond irritated as Rachel moved to sit where he had been previously. Diego and Klaus took their previous seats as well. A heavyset woman came over with a teenage boy in tow. Both had glasses in the exact same shape, showing how related they were.

"Excuse me!"

She was evidently talking to Five and Rachel so they looked over at her.

"Excuse me, it's my son Kenny's birthday today, and…uh…wouldn't your kids be happier playing with kids their own age?"

Rachel glanced at Five out of the side of her eye. Did she think they looked related? They looked nothing alike.

"Assuming it's okay with your two dads."

It suddenly clicked with her that the woman assumed Klaus and Diego had adopted the two of them. Rachel looked over to see the two men staring blankly at her.

"I would rather chew off my own foot," Five snapped.

The woman awkwardly ran off with her son as Five and Rachel heard a familiar whooshing sound of a message tube. Rachel followed Five, hearing his brothers chat behind them.

"If I was going to date a man, you'd be the last man I would date."

"You'd be lucky to get me," his brother responded.

Rachel looked over Five's shoulder to see a tube addressed to them.

"How the hell did she find us?" he questioned.

Rachel shrugged as he suddenly dug into his pocket. He pulled out a candy. Unwrapping it, he found a tracker.

"Oh, Five…" the girl admonished.

"She's good," he said about the Handler before dropping it and crushing it.

Inside the tube was a fortune cookie that Five proceeded to split open. Unfolding it, the note read 'Time Marches On…Or Does It?' in printed text with 'Rain Quail, Rm 12' written in blue ink underneath. Rachel looked at him.

"Shouldn't we say something-"

She then blinked and found herself no longer in the bowling alley.

"…to your siblings. Why do I bother?" she finished.

They were now standing outside some rental motel that had a cottage feel.

"Stay here," Five told Rachel, but she grabbed his arm.

"No. You left me the last time you went to talk to her, and you came back with shrapnel in your abdomen. No. We go together."

Five sighed, but surprisingly didn't argue. The two marched inside to the indicated room. As they approached the door, a cheery voice reached them.

"Five, Rachel, I've been waiting for you."

Going inside, they found the room overly decorated in a cutesy fashion. On a raised dais was the waitress from Griddy's Doughnuts tied to a chair. A spread of pastries lay out on a table with a single candle. The Handler sat cross legged on the bed. While she was her usual blonde with a black dress, a nasty scar on her chin stood out. Rachel had been filled in by Five on what he did back at the Commission. It was nasty to see what the result had been on her face.

"You must really like doughnuts," Five stated, sarcasm in every word.

"It's been a while," the Handler said.

"Three days."

"For you, maybe. But for me, it's been a lot longer since I've seen those adorable little shorts. And look at you matching, Rachel. It's been even longer since I've seen you…well…in an older version. I should have known your partner's trick when he didn't bring you along."

"It's okay, he didn't tell me his plan either," Rachel gave a fake smile.

"Well, you've had time to heal," Five noted.

She sighed and moved toward them.

"Luckily, for us three, time…is the one thing my organization has an abundance of."

"Got your message, by the way," Five interrupted," Nice packaging, but so much for Commission protocol."

The Handler hummed as she came closer. Five moved in front of Rachel slightly.

"There have been…a lot of changes since you left the Commission."

She stopped in front of the two of them.

"You really did some damage," she told Five," The briefcases were all but destroyed, to say nothing of the…highly trained personnel you killed. After all, what is an institution if not for-"

"What do you want?" he cut in.

"To be happy. To have a simple…unfettered life, to…do the work my superiors require. But…your being here, well, it complicates that."

She moved over to sit on the gawdy orange couch in the room.

"Billions of people are about to die tonight. You can change that."

"Tonight, tomorrow. So little difference in the scheme of things."

Five and Rachel looked at each other. There was no convincing this woman of anything.

"Don't you remember the Commission's raison d'etre? What's meant to be is meant to be, or, as I like to say, que será, será."

"It's bullshit in any language. Why did you call us here?"

She sucked on her teeth for a moment.

"I wanna offer you two a choice. Everyone's going to die tonight, but…unlike the rest of the world, you and your beloved have a way out. You can abandon your family and skip ahead to the apocalypse, take a walkabout for a few decades, wondering if I'll come back and offer you a job again, or you can stay here, with your family, and…die a horrible death. Taking your love with you."

She popped open a champagne bottle and began pouring glasses. Five looked at Rachel then back at the Handler.

"While you weigh your options, just know your siblings are fighting for their lives without you."

"You brought us here to pull us away," Five realized.

Rachel cursed under her breath.

"It's been nice knowing you both," the Handler said before Five grabbed Rachel's arm and they jumped back to the bowling alley.

The entire place was overturned. There had certainly been a shootout. Bodies were everywhere. Rachel sighed.

"Kenny won't forget this birthday, that's for sure."

Five growled under his breath before he jumped them to the orchestra. The place was emptied with the Hargreeves hiding behind seats. Vanya was playing alone on stage, glowing with a white light.

"What's with all the lollygagging?" Five asked.

"Rachel! Five! Get down!" Luther shouted at them.

Commission agents shot at them, pushing them to duck for cover in the aisles.

"Five, what the…I thought you two bailed on us!" Number One continued.

"Uh, we had an errand to run," Five responded," This is not good."

Diego looked over at them.

"You know these guys?"

"Yeah, we do," Five said, crouching lower.

"And?"

"Well…we're screwed."

Diego tossed a couple of knives at the agents who came in. Klaus suddenly ran in from another entrance, jumping the stairs.

"Guys, it's Cha-Cha! It's Cha-Cha, she-"

Luther shouted for his brother to get down. He ducked just in time. Him coming in inspired Five to act, jumping onto one of the agents and turning him around to take out two of his comrades. Five then strangled that one. Rachel ran forward, taking the strangled agent's gun and shooting at two more in the back of the hall with deadly proficiency. She looked over, gun at the ready as she heard strained screaming. Her jaw just about hit the floor when she looked at Klaus and lowered her newly acquired gun. His hands were glowing blue. Before him stood a blue figure that was using Ben's power. Though he should be dead, he was taking out the agents like it was nothing. Rachel and everyone else stood and moved closer together.

"Oh, my God," Luther whispered," It's him. Ben."

Diego ran for the stage and tackled Cha-Cha just as she came around the corner. Looking at Vanya, her outfit began to change to a pure white. The hall was beginning to come down even more. After Klaus cleared out all the agents, Diego came back to them a bit flustered.

"Oh, welcome back. Where were you?" Luther asked as Diego came out from backstage.

"Honoring a memory. So, how do you wanna end this thing?"

"We surround her. All right? We come at her from all angles."

"So, it's a suicide mission," Klaus commented.

"Yeah, but one of us could get through. It's the only chance we've got," Five responded.

"We all in?" Luther asked.

Everyone agreed except Allison. Luther sighed and tapped Diego.

"Stage left."

He then pointed to himself.

"Stage right. You guys take the front."

Rachel moved through the center aisles after placing her gun on the floor. Once all the guys were set in place, she looked back at Allison. The woman looked torn on what to do. Rachel whistled at her, getting her attention.

"We can do this without killing her," Rachel reminded Allison before turning around to face the stage," Her emotions are too strong to change, so it's up to you. I'll help them distract her, but you save her."

With that, Rachel waited for the boys to make their move. They all surged forward at the same moment after Luther shouted. Vanya easily caught them with a swipe of her bow. She suspended them in the air before her with her powers, four white tendrils coming out of the white aura around her. Rachel reached out toward Vanya's feelings. Rachel felt herself burning, but she cringed and pushed forward, trying to instill calm and loving feelings into her friend. Vanya's powers pushed back before grabbing her as well. She just hoped that Allison would be able to find a way as she felt like her life was being sucked out of her. After what felt like hours, Rachel felt herself hit the ground. She gasped in deep breaths before getting up and running onto the stage. The guys were doing the same as they recovered. Allison sat holding Vanya in her arms.

"Is she alive?" Luther asked.

Allison was able to whisper a confirmation.

"She is? Yeah?"

"Oh, thank God," Klaus sighed.

"We did it," Luther looked around at them," We saved the world."

They were all checking on Vanya and whispering around her when Klaus got their attention.

"Uh, guys?"

They turned to where he was. Vanya's powers had blown the glass dome off the roof and the moon could clearly be seen in the night sky. What looked like a huge rock from the moon was hurtling toward them.

"You see that big Moon rock coming towards us?" Klaus asked.

"That's not good," Luther muttered.

"So, this is it, huh? So much for…saving the world."

"If only Sir Reginald could see us right now, huh?" Diego commented," The Umbrella Academy. A total failure."

Rachel looked up at Five as he clutched at his hair, trying to figure out what to do. She stood up and reached out to him. His feelings were frazzled as he ran through possibilities and then despair. He looked at her, nodding his head. He'd hit on an idea.

"At least we're together at the end," she heard Luther say behind her," As a family."

"This doesn't have to be the end," Five spoke up.

"What? What are you saying, Five?" Luther questioned.

Rachel could see the crazy glint in his eye of desperation.

"I think I have a way outta here. But you gotta trust me on this."

The guys all protested.

"Well, then, we might as well accept our fate, because in less than a minute, we're gonna be vaporized," Five responded over them.

Rachel snapped at the siblings then.

"Hey, at least listen before you say no!"

They all turned back before Diego looked back at Five.

"What's your idea, then?"

"We use my ability to time travel. But this time, I'll take you with me."

"You can do that?" Diego asked, surprised.

"I don't know. I've never tried it before, but if I can bring Rachel with me it's just a matter of adding six more people."

"What's the worst that can happen?" the knife thrower stated.

"You're lookin' at it. Fifty-eight-year-old man inside a child's body, so there's that."

"Oh, what the hell? I'm in."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm in."

"Me, too. Allison?"

Allison nodded. Luther turned to Klaus.

"What about Ben?

"Great, yeah, he's in."

Five nodded.

"Okay, great. Luther, grab Vanya."

As he lifted her into his arms with Allison's help, he looked around at them.

"Wait, should we be taking her? I mean, if she's the cause of the apocalypse, I mean, isn't that like taking a bomb with us?"

"The apocalypse will always happen," the boys shook his head, "And Vanya will always be the cause, unless we take her with us and fix her."

They all nodded before reaching out for each other's hands. Rachel gripped Five and Diego's hands tightly in her own. Above them, a blue electric cloud formed, pushing wind into their faces as Five attempted to jump them through time.

"It's working!" Luther shouted.

Five looked around at them.

"Hold on! It's gonna get messy!"

Looking around, Rachel could see the Hargreeves becoming their younger selves before they blinked out of 2019.

Author's Note: One or two short stories may come before Season 2 is released. We'll see what happens first! Please let me know if you guys want this story to continue on.


	18. Chapter 17

-2002:-

It was after Umbrella Academy training that day. Ben wandered the halls, just wanting to go for a walk. He could hear the sound of Vanya's violin practice filling the large building. He smiled as he felt the music calm him. The sound of running reached his ears as Luther chased Allison down the hallway. He pressed himself against the wall to let them pass.

"Give it back!" Luther said, laughter in his voice.

"No way! I got there first!"

"That's a lie."

Ben grinned, seeing a bright red apple clutched in Allison's hand. As the two disappeared around a corner, the boy glanced out the window. He did a double-take as he spotted Rachel out in the backyard's corner bench. No one knew why, but it was Rachel's favorite spot in the Academy when she needed to wait around for her parents or the end of Vanya's lessons, as was the case today. A feeling of melancholy struck him as he looked at the girl. He hurried down the stairs and out to the backyard.

"Hey, Rach."

Rachel's piercing blue eyes looked up at him. She gave him a half-hearted smile.

"Need something, Ben?" she asked, ready to get off the bench.

Ben waved both his hands at her.

"No, no! I…You just seemed sad. Do you…want to talk about it?"

The blonde blinked at him, her eyes examining his face as she thought. Resting her hand in her lap she shrugged, leading him to sit beside her.

"I don't know if I can talk about it, Ben."

The boy's brow furrowed.

"Are my brothers picking on you? Is it Five or Klaus? Either way, I can tell them to back off."

Rachel shook her head.

"No, it…They didn't do anything…Its just personal."

"Oh."

Ben dug his toe into the dirt at his feet, unsure what to say to her. Rachel glanced over at him, biting her lip. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes.

"What do you want when you are an adult, Ben? What do you hope will happen?"

Glancing over at Rachel, Ben thought about her questions.

"I guess I expect most of my hopes to be impossible because…well, we're part of the Umbrella Academy. But…without limitations…freedom to go wherever I wanted and do whatever I want."

Rachel waited for a minute before looking at him.

"That's it?"

The boy's eyes met hers and he nodded.

"I know its vague, but I can't hope for more if I don't have freedom, right?"

The blonde gaped at him for a moment before shrugging.

"I suppose not. Okay, well…what if someone said that was impossible? That freedom you want is something you can never have. Even though it is the number one thing you wanted for your future. What do you do? How do you get over that loss?"

Ben frowned. Her eyes were searching his desperately with such intensity, he felt himself blush.

"I don't know. I'd…kind of expected it would never happen? So, it isn't much of a loss since I never had the freedom in the first place."

Apparently, that wasn't the answer she had been looking for. Sighing, Rachel tilted her head to the side as if her neck could no longer carry the weight. He felt terrible.

"I'm sorry."

Rachel lifted her head and smiled at him.

"That's okay, Ben. It is just…I heard some bad news today and I'm trying to process it. I wish Vanya didn't have a lesson."

Ben looked at the Academy before nodding.

"I get that. Is it really something you can't share with me?"

"I honestly don't know if I'm ready to share with Vanya."

Biting his lip, Ben reached out and interlaced his fingers with Rachel's. She looked over at him in surprise.

"Ben…" she started quietly, her cheeks going pink.

"If you can't share, then I'll just be here for you. I didn't like seeing you be sad alone. If you need to cry, its okay. I won't pick on you. I just want to sit here with you until you feel better."

Her hand squeezed his, making him smile. He breathed out as Rachel slid closer and put her head on his shoulder.

"This is why you're my favorite Hargreeves boy."

"Yeah, well…don't tell Diego. I think he'd try to skewer me."

-2001:-

"Rachel, wait! No one thinks you are weak!" Allison shouted after the girl.

Violently throwing her domino mask at her bag by the front door, Rachel tore through the Academy to evade her friend. She escaped to the backyard where she sat on a small bench off in one of the corners. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them. Her arms wrapped tightly around her thighs to keep her skirt against her. The Academy's team had done a great job today, all except for her. Rachel could still feel the tight hold around her torso from when the gunman robbing the pawn shop grabbed her. She felt the cool metal of the gun against her head. In her mind, she saw the eyes of the Hargreeves children as they stared wide-eyed at her. She would be dead right now if it weren't for-

"Hey."

Rachel turned her head to see Five standing by her with his hands in his pockets. The girl turned her back to him, her legs landing on the ground as she uncurled.

"Go away, Five."

The boy chuckled before sitting down beside her, his body turned in the opposite direction from hers. He nudged her with his shoulder.

"Since when has saying that to me ever worked?"

Rachel stared up at the sky. It was late evening, so the sun was low in the sky. Sighing, she closed her eyes.

"Thank you…for saving me."

"Mm, well, no one else was getting you out of there without a bullet to the head so…"

It was quiet between them for a moment. Five quietly bit the side of his tongue and shook his head, thinking what to say when whispered words reached him.

"I'm such a liability."

Five turned to the girl with a frown. He opened his mouth to speak when Vanya and Allison dashed through the back door.

"There you are!" Vanya said, relieved.

Rachel glanced back at them, brushing at tears that Five hadn't noticed.

"Sorry, I-" Rachel began before Five wrapped his arm around her abdomen.

"We're busy," he told his sisters.

Rachel felt the familiar tug of Five's jumping abilities before the two landed on the attic floor. The girl yelped from the force of hitting the floor before sitting up. She turned to look at Five who gave her one of his wicked smiles.

"So, we were talking," he said to her.

Rachel gave him an exasperated look.

"We were?"

"Yes."

Sighing, Rachel tucked her legs under her as she faced Five.

"I can only sense emotions and where people are. I'm not a great fighter or anything. I'm not strong or quick. After getting kidnapped years ago and now this…"

Five pinched her arm, making her smack him.

"OW! What was that for?"

"See? You can defend yourself."

Rachel stared at him, her jaw slack as he laughed at her. After a moment, Rachel couldn't help but smile, too.

"You're such a jerk…but you're nicer than you let on…"

"That is a complete lie," he sighed at her, getting up off the floor," Seriously, we'll all be around to help each other. You're not the only one who can have a hard time when we're fighting. Just keep training and practicing and you'll get better. All there is to it. Ask Diego for some fighting tips. I know he'd gladly give you private lessons."

Rachel stood up as well, dusting herself off.

"Don't pick on him! But it isn't a bad idea."

Five held a hand out to her.

"I should return you to my sisters so they can comfort you."

Rachel grinned and took his hand.

"Thanks, Five."

-2000:-

"Yes!"

Luther pumped his fist as he knocked down all the pins in his lane. Allison clapped enthusiastically while Vanya gave a small smile. Five just rolled his eyes at his competitors. Rachel smiled at the group as she passed them. She was getting her third bowling ball, still attempting to find the right weight for her to bowl well with.

Placing her new ball with the others in play, she sat down beside Diego as he watched Ben coach Klaus on his technique. As her shoulder brushed his, he smiled.

"F-F-Found a good o-o-one?"

"I hope so…" she murmured, watching Klaus almost drop his bowling ball on his foot.

Reginald Hargeeves bought out the bowling alley, so the children, Grace, and Rachel's parents were the only guests in the building. Mr. Hargreeves didn't have the time to come, of course. Besides, he wasn't one for celebrating his own children's birthdays, much less Rachel's. Yet, letting the members of the Academy out like this to celebrate a birthday was a miracle and they all were taking advantage of that.

Diego leaned his shoulder into Rachel's as Klaus cursed at a gutter ball.

"Alright, your t-turn. Let's get you w-w-winning, right?"

The girl smiled at her friend as she stood up, grabbed the her newly acquired ball and moved over to the lane.

"You got this, Rach!" Ben cheered as he sat down beside Klaus.

"O-Okay," Diego said from behind her," R-Remember what I-I s-s-said."

Rachel did her best to do just that. She did her best to aim at the frontmost pin. As she brought her arm back, she glanced at Diego.

"Like this?"

He laughed before standing behind her and adjusting her arm. He then pointed her to look back at the lane.

"Focus," he told her.

There were suddenly catcalls from the lane next to them.

"Laying it on a bit thick there, don't you think, Diego?" Five teased.

Rachel rolled her eyes while Diego flipped his brother off.

"Sh-sh-shut u-up!" he stuttered worse than usual thanks to his embarrassment.

The girl ignored the brothers as she swung her arm forward and let the ball go. She held her breath as it rolled down the lane before knocking over the majority of pins. It was better than she had done all night! She whipped around and squealed, jumping on Diego. As he wasn't paying attention, he was taken off guard. The two tumbled onto the floor of the bowling alley. Now, more than just Five was whistling at them.

"Going to give her a birthday kiss down there, Diego?" Klaus quipped, leaning over his chair to stare down at them.

The poor boy's face was beet red. Rachel apologized and scrambled off him. Pulling him to his feet, she laughed.

"Sorry, I just got excited."

"Th-that's okay," he mumbled.

As his brother's continued to tease him, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for your help! Can you keep showing me what to do?"

Rachel glared out at his bothersome siblings. Klaus put up his hands in surrender, Luther rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, and Five just smirked at her with defiance.

"Invite us to the wedding, at least."

Five just always had to have the last word. Diego tugged on her hand despite his face being on fire.

"It's still y-your t-turn."

Rachel and Diego smiled at each other as she prepped to take out the rest of the pins in their lane.

-1998:-

Klaus sat at the lunch table just poking at his pasta with a fork. His brothers and sisters had already left the table, but Rachel sat across from him. She was staring him down.

"Enough, already," he sighed," If you have a problem just spit it out. How am I supposed to eat if you keep glaring at me like that? I'm not going to apologize for calling you a spoiled brat, so get over it. Yell, scream, go on!"

Rachel just kept staring at him. Klaus's eye began to twitch. Without warning, he swept the pasta off the table and stood, hands resting on the table. Rachel had jumped, but she was still looking at him silently.

"STOP STARING! I hate you! I can't even stand to look at you!"

He stomped around the table, practically spitting in her face with all the rage he could muster.

"You sicken me. You're not even a real part of this academy. You think your powers are special? They're synthetic. They're useless. You're useless. Why does everyone KEEP STARING?!"

Klaus fell to his knees before her, curling into a ball.

"Go away! All of you just go away. It isn't fair…"

The boy felt hands on his head, gently stroking his hair.

"Stop. Leave me alone," he whined," Don't look at me."

"But that's not what you've been saying inside, is it, Klaus?"

Klaus uncurled a bit so he could look up. So many faces around him. Mutilated, ill-looking faces. One so close, so pale, yet pristine. Innocent and untouched. Both were revolting in their own ways. Yet, as Rachel touched his face with one of her porcelain hands, he couldn't help but close his eyes.

"It isn't fair that you have to feel this much, Klaus," her soft voice reached out like a caress," It isn't fair that I can shut my powers away. So, I'll feel your pain, too. I'm sorry that is all I can do for you."

"You're stupid," Klaus mumbled to her, but he opened his eyes at sat up straight.

She was the only person he could see at the moment. Klaus let out a laugh that was almost a sob at the same time.

"You're such a pushover," he told her," You'd want to be friends so bad you'd suffer for me? I hate that about you."

But they both knew he didn't hate her. A feeling was blossoming. A feeling of affection.

"Friends?" Rachel insisted, giving him a small smile.

Klaus let out a small laugh.

"Why?"

"I think you're cool."

With that, Klaus burst out laughing. He reached out and ruffled Rachel's hair, making her protest.

"You're weird. But I am, too, so…sure. Let's start over. As friends."

The two smiled at each other as Diego came skidding into the room. They both looked over to see his face growing redder and redder.

"What are you two doing on the floor together?" he demanded.

The two exchanged a look before Rachel held her hands out in front of her.

"Don't-"

Klaus pulled Rachel against him and kissed her cheek.

"Stuff!" he practically sang.

Diego dove over the table at his brother, who scurried off.

"I was just kidding! I don't want your girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

Rachel leaned her head against the chair behind her. Sometimes the Academy was just a bit too lively for her to handle.

-1994:-

Rachel hugged her father's leg as they stood in the foyer of the Academy. Before them were seven children of various heights and genders, all the same age. A scary man with a monocle shook hands with her father.

"Today they will just have a chance to meet and get to know each other. How about we leave them with Grace in sitting room while we discuss details."

Erik Truesdale agreed before kneeling down to Rachel's level. Around her, the children filed into a side room while the scary man stood by a large staircase.

"I'm going to go talk to Mr. Hargreeves for a while, kiddo. You have fun with the kids in this side room. If you need anything, you let the nice lady know. Okay?"

Rachel coughed and shook her head.

"I want to go home. I don't feel well."

Her father's eyes were pitying as he put a hand to her forehead.

"You don't have a fever. You're probably just feeling anxious. Remember, breathe and count. Focus on that when you have trouble breathing. You're my smart girl. You'll make some friends, don't worry. You'll get to go to school with these kids every day and it won't be scary at all."

Rachel let her father push her toward the side room before he followed the scary man. Wringing her hands, the child meandered into the room. Two boys were pushing each other in a corner. Two girls sat on a couch whispering together. The last three boys sat looking bored on a couch across from the girls. Rachel looked up at the face of a beautiful golden-haired woman as she entered.

"Hello, Rachel! I'm Grace. It is a pleasure to meet you. Allow me to introduce you to the children."

As if on cue, the seven children lined up before Grace and Rachel in the same order they had in the foyer. First a tall blonde boy stepped forward.

"I'm Number One. Luther."

Rachel furrowed her brows. Were numbers also names? Did she have a number? Maybe he was just being stuck-up. He did give off a sense of being smug. She'd just remember to call him Luther.

A boy stepped forward, this time with dark hair who was just shorter than his brother.

"D-D-Diego. I'm-I'm N-"

He appeared to struggle with the word, almost choking on it. Grace smiled calmly at him.

"Visualize it…"

"N-Number T-Two."

Embarrassment radiated off of this boy as he stepped back into the line. Rachel tried to smile at him as reassurance. She wasn't sure if it helped as he only seemed to stare at her helplessly.

Next a girl with curly brown hair and darker skin stepped forward.

"I'm Allison. Number Three. Pleasure to meet you."

She gave Rachel a comforting feeling. That feeling shifted as the next boy stepped forward. He radiated a feeling of fear and insecurity.

"Number Four. Klaus."

Introductions were moving faster now. Numbers Five, Six, and Seven were all fairly normal to Rachel's emotional assessment. She realized she needed to introduce herself as well.

"I'm Rachel," she told them.

Grace smiled around at them.

"Well, then, how about you all go ahead and play. I'll be right here if you need anything, Rachel."

The woman pushed Rachel toward the other kids. Vanya was the first to approach her. She shyly reached a hand to the girl.

"Do you like to play with dolls? Allison and I have a few over there."

Rachel nodded vigorously before taking Vanya's hand and letting the girl lead her to the dolls. Allison bounded along after them. Before leaving on her first day at the Academy, Rachel was glad to have made friends with the sisters. Each time she went back to train with the Hargreeves, getting to know the siblings became more and more complicated, but also a newfound joy to the young girl's previously unfortunate life.


	19. Chapter 18

-1963:-

Rachel felt the familiar lurch of being expelled from Five's time travelling power. She had the presence of mind to bend her knees, landing with only the slightest of stumbles. Trying to shake herself of the adrenaline pulsing through her body, she looked up in time to see the blue portal that spit her out shrink and disappear. Glancing around her, she groaned. She was alone in a side alley. The alley was U-shaped with red brick buildings blocking her in. A dumpster by her had thankfully been emptied that day, though a sharp smell hit her nose when the wind picked up. Out on the street was a movie theater with cars passing between it and the alley way. No Hargreeves in sight. She felt the adrenaline from travel spiking into panic instead of dissipating.

"Shit," she sighed," Come on, old girl, you got this."

She turned around a few times attempting to figure out if she should go toward the street and figure out where and when she was, or investigate the back of the alley and ask someone in one of the buildings if they'd seen boy in shorts and a sweater vest. She breathed in deeply through her nose as she paced, breathing out through her mouth.

"One," she squeezed out moving toward the road.

She whipped around and examined the building behind her.

"Two."

She frowned at the door at the end of the alleyway. It read "Morty's" in red cursive. There was lettering underneath but she was too far to read it. She turned back to the street.

"Three."

She had just turned around again when a dark-haired boy forcefully pushed the door to Morty's open. Relief flooded through Rachel at the sight of a familiar navy-blue blazer and shorts.

"Five!" she shouted, running toward him.

There was just enough time for her to see one of his rare smiles before she launched herself at him. He caught her easily with a chuckle.

"Welcome to 1963," he told her, planting a quick kiss on her neck before setting her down.

She stared up into his blue eyes, her hands touching his chest, shoulders, and then face to make sure he was truly there. As her hands pressed against his cheeks, he leaned down and kissed her. She was surprised at how insistent the kiss was. Five's arms wrapped around her back, pressing her against him. His lips and tongue were relentless, making her mind go blank as feelings overwhelmed her. Relief, love, passion, and worry hit her like a truck. In return, she let her feelings seep into his. She could feel his hands grasp at her shirt, accepting her feelings, her power, like he never had before. After a few minutes, she pulled back to catch her breath. She had to remind herself that there were in 1963 and more people besides the two of them were out of time and place.

"I was worried I was alone…When did you get here?"

Five grimaced at her, reluctantly releasing her. Seemingly unable to part from her completely, his hand slid into hers.

"I have a lot to explain and very little time. Come inside and I'll tell you everything."

Rachel knew him well enough not to ask questions yet and just let him pull her along. As he opened the door to Morty's for her, she could now see the door was for Shipping and Receiving of televisions and radios to the store. The girl was led up a flight of stairs into an apartment. She was taken aback by a skinny man with sunken eyes wearing a brown plaid button down.

"Oh, uh, hello," she greeted as Five closed the door behind them," I'm Rachel."

"E-Elliot," he nodded at her, examining her with some suspicion," Are you…uh…?"

A mischievous grin on Five's face didn't pass her notice as he comfortably moved them past the man.

"My partner. And yeah, she's one, too. Mind making her a sandwich or something?"

"Oh, uh, sure?"

Rachel threw the odd man an awkward smile over her shoulder as Five was practically dragging her along now.

"Five," she spoke in a scolding tone, letting him know she wanted to know what she was "one" of.

He gestured for her to take a seat on the couch in Elliot's living space. The area was a raised floor, as a staircase led down to a bottom floor with a storefront. The area here was cluttered with various things, most fitting the expected technology of the sixties. There was a door leading off to a bedroom from this room. Elliot could be heard clattering away in the kitchen off to their left. From what she could piece together, Five had clearly encroached on this poor man's home and managed to convince him of allowing her partner to use the space as some sort of headquarters. As she sat, Five leaned down to her ear.

"Alien conspiracy theorist."

Rachel glanced around the room, noting points that proved what Five said. Newspaper clippings, equipment, a board following sightings of potential aliens. The girl's eyes stopped on the board. Squinting she noted there were five different sections on it. She looked over as Five sat beside her, his right side pressed up against her. Rachel was becoming concerned as Five was never this inclined to touch her. Years of being lovers meant plenty of touching, but this was bordering on clingy. Something that Five was definitely not.

"Your siblings are here, right?"

"Yes," Five sighed, looking toward the board," They all got here before us. Actually, you got here before me."

Unsure how to respond to that, Rachel just watched him. Five turned to her with a serious expression.

"The end of the world is in ten days. It followed us."

Rachel groaned and leaned back into the couch.

"How?"

"I don't know yet," he said through gritted teeth," But I'm working on getting us all together to stop it. Before you got here, I was able to talk to Diego."

Rachel sat up and looked around the room.

"Where is he?"

Five shrugged at her.

"Still in the nut house."

Her jaw dropped.

"He's in a mental institute?!"

"Truly where he was always meant to be. No, don't protest! I'm kidding, kind of. He has it in his head he can save the president from being assassinated. Until he gets his head on straight, I think its best he stays where he is. I also found where Luther is, and I plan to meet him tonight."

Rachel's head was spinning a little but did her best to separate all the information she was being told.

"Okay, Diego and Luther, got it. Can we go back to how you are here before me if you say you arrived after me? Did you time jump again?"

"Not on my own. Hazel found me just before the nuclear blast destroyed the world. He and Agnes had twenty years together before she died of cancer."

"Oh, no…"

Rachel and Five looked into each other's eyes. She could still feel a bit of worry radiating off of him along with the pity he felt for Hazel and Agnes. His eyes broke contact as he continued while looking at his knees.

"But he came to 1963 with his briefcase to help us save the world. He brought me back to today because that gives us ten days to save the world and because it was the day that you arrived here. He also did that because…well…"

Her eyebrows raised as he paused.

"Because?" she prompted.

"Well…I saw my siblings fighting on the last day, but you weren't there. I asked Hazel where you were and…apparently…you were dead."

Five was now looking at her again. Rachel nodded at him. His clinginess and worry suddenly made sense.

"Let me guess…I couldn't find _you_…so I…went to find…you. The one before getting back to 2019."

"And got killed by you due to the side effects of being near yourself."

"Homicidal rage…"

"Precisely."

"Probably made worse because both of my selves felt so strongly enraged that we wanted to kill each other even more thanks to my power. Wow, that…sucks."

Five nodded and rubbed her knee.

"At least now that won't need to happen because I'm here and we're going to save the world all together. And do it correctly this time."

The girl did her best to stash that information out of her mind as much as possible while she looked back at the board.

"So, Diego and Luther are accounted for. Do you know where the others are?"

Five sighed as Elliot came over and handed her a ham and cheese sandwich. She thanked him quickly, taking the plate.

"Unfortunately, no. Hopefully, Luther can help pick up the trail. If not…we'll improvise. Oh, and the briefcase from Hazel broke, if you were curious. The commission sent three assassins after us and they killed Hazel when he saved me. There's that to contend with."

That information felt like a punch to the chest. Rachel put her hand on her heart, glad she was in a younger body because her 58-year-old self would have been winded. He had died trying to help them. The man kept proving that he had such a good heart.

"Poor Hazel…And the briefcase is destroyed?"

"Bullet holes went right through it."

Rachel accepted that information and took a bite of her sandwich.

"You always did say they should be bulletproof…" she noted after swallowing.

"_Thank you_!"

"So, where are you planning on meeting Luther? This sandwich is really good, by the way, Elliot."

The man looked at her sheepishly and gave a nervous smile before backing into the kitchen again. He had been listening in while not the center of attention but, clearly with her eyes on him, he felt awkward.

"Oh, right, it's getting dark so we should head out."

As Five stood, so did Rachel, now taking her sandwich for the road it seemed.

"We need to head out after dark?"

Five grinned at her.

"That is the right time to go to a burlesque bar, after all."

He was thrilled by the shock on her face.

"Luther at a burlesque bar? Seriously? _Luther_?"


	20. Chapter 19

-Post 2019 Apocalypse: Eight Years-

Rachel slowly came out of her slumber from a ticklish sensation. It travelled down from her face to her shoulder before gliding down her arm. She felt a slight draft on her back, but the rest of her was comfortably warm. Blinking, she found the source of the warmth before her. Blue eyes met her green eyes and the ticklish feeling moved down to her stomach before slowly sliding up the middle of her bare chest. She smiled and reached out, running her fingers through the long hair of her bedfellow.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, her voice raspy from sleep.

"Studying," was the nonchalant response.

Rachel rubbed her eyes to better look at Five. The left edge of his lips twitched as he attempted not to smirk at her. Feeling more awake, the young woman stretched before cuddling closer to her partner.

"As if there is something you haven't seen at this point. Just admit you were hoping I would wake up. And, as usual, you got what you wanted."

It was one of those rare days where they did not have to jump up with the sun and head out to a new location. They had stumbled upon a house stocked full of food for at least a month between the two of them, which was great since it was Winter. The previous owners clearly believed in a doomsday of some sort, lucky for the two of them. They had taken the day before to dust off, clean, and drag an intact mattress into a relatively untouched room. While they had to use an excessive number of blankets, a fireplace, and each other to keep warm, it was a better situation than they had been in for years. Dolores even got her own nice couch to lie on by the fire.

The idea of lounging for a day was a welcome one, especially since Rachel had something on her mind. She shivered; the fire clearly having gone out during the night. She nuzzled her cheek against Five's shoulder.

"Five," she spoke calmly, sliding down a bit to kiss his chest.

"Hmm?" he hummed at her, placing his warm hands on the cold places of her back.

Rachel took a deep breath, pushing her nerves away. She wanted to say it. Needed, in fact.

"I love you."

Everything around them was quieter than it had ever been. No one else on the planet was alive. _Nothing_ else was alive. The two had practically stopped breathing at her words, one registering them and the other waiting for the result.

After a minute that felt like an eternity, Five pulled away and rolled out of the bed. Rachel let out a sigh. She'd expected this. She probably would have been terrified if he had actually responded in kind. Sitting up, she watched as Five pulled on pants before pacing the room.

"Five, calm down and talk to me," Rachel urged.

He stopped and held a finger out to her.

"You don't love me," he told her firmly, trying to convince himself more than her.

Rachel slid to the other side of the bed, so she was closer to Five.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

Her voice was calm and measured, which seemed to rattle Five. The male ran a hand through his hair, trying to think. Rachel just waited calmly. She glanced out the window to see snow gently falling. Feeling a chill, she pulled the blankets up around her, wrapping herself up into a mound of blankets.

"Five, its cold. Come back to bed."

He ignored her words and kept pacing.

"You can't be in love with me. It's like Stockholm Syndrome. No, _it is_ Stockholm Syndrome. You are stuck with me with no one else. But if we get back-"

"My feelings aren't going to change if we go back! I'm already in love with you. Come now, this isn't _Beauty and the Beast_. We're partners. Teammates. Companions. Lovers. I have never felt like you kidnapped me. It was an accident. Five, I love you."

"Stop saying that."

"I'm not going to do that. I'll say it until you get it."

"You can't!"

"And why not?!"

"BECAUSE YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE!"

Five has stopped his pacing to stare at her with fierce eyes, haunted and guilty. Rachel extracted herself from her mountain of blankets to stand before him. She ignored the chill that ran through her as she opened herself up to the cold air. Her skin erupted in goosebumps, yet she stood proudly before Five, no shame or guilt.

"And yet here I am. Hiding nothing from you. Not who I am. Not my feelings. No part of my being is elsewhere. Right here before you, living and breathing, is all I have to give to anyone. I _choose _to give myself to you, Five. I chose when I told you I had feelings for you, honestly. For perspective, if I had been trapped in the apocalypse with someone else, it wouldn't be the same."

"With Ben or Diego you-"

"I don't want to hear anything more about me being with Ben or Diego! We've talked about this again and again, and I'm sick of it."

Five was taken by surprise at her shout. She breathed out, cleared her throat, and released the fists she had made from his words. Moving forward, she reached out and placed her hands on his chest, feeling his racing heart. She smiled up at him.

"You have never made it easy for anyone to love you, Five," she told him quietly," And yet, you are loved. Your family loved you. _Loves_ you. Dolores loves you."

Five rolled his eyes away, making her smirk and turn his head back to look at her.

"_I _love you," she proclaimed again, looking him in the eyes," Faults and all. I love you despite your harsh way of speaking, the worry you constantly try to hide, and this façade you put up when you feel you need to. I love all of that because underneath it is someone who cares more about me than I ever thought someone could. You pretend you care less by poking fun and acting rude, but I'm not bothered by that. As a kid, I didn't get it. But I like to think that…even if we never travelled through time…I'd still see you the way I do now. And no, I can't be sure of that, but I accept that I'll never know. I don't care to know. You don't need to either. You don't have to love me back, Five, but I need you to be okay with me loving you."

There was a groan from Five as placed his head against hers and closed his eyes.

"How am I supposed to make fun of such earnestness, damn it?"

Rachel smiled and closed her eyes, too.

"A speechless, Five? Miracles do happen!"

Five let out a quick laugh and pulled back.

"Clearly they do, or you wouldn't be in love with me."

The woman was suddenly swept up by Five, causing her to shriek in surprise. She laughed as she was tossed onto the bed. She grabbed the blankets and spread them out as Five undressed again. As he joined her under the covers, he leaned on his side to look at her.

"If you're willing to give me everything without question, then I can't let you show me up. Don't tell Dolores…but I love you, too. I feel guilty about it because you deserve better, but if I'm what you want, I'm yours."

Five leaned over and kissed Rachel, pulling her up against him. After some time, the two parted and Rachel looked up at him with a teasing glint in her eye.

"You're mine aside from Dolores, you mean, right?" Rachel pointed out, which caused Five to pinch her cheek, but gently.

"That goes without saying."

Rachel sighed dramatically before pushing Five onto his back and straddling his waist.

"Well, then I guess I'll have to make up for where Dolores lacks."

Five grinned, his hands sliding up her thighs.

"By all means..."

-Dallas, 1963-

Rachel stared at the sign on the door.

"Five, it says no minors."

The boy turned and raised his eyebrows at her.

"We're not minors."

His partner made a face at him that made him snort in amusement. Rachel sat down on a bench outside the establishment.

"I have no interest in seeing a burlesque show after all. You go get Luther and I'll wait here."

Five hovered by the door before stomping over, grabbing her arm, and tugging her to stand. He leaned his face close.

"What are they going to do? Arrest us? It will be fine, and I would rather not have you leave my sight. There are a lot of drunkards stumbling out of this place."

Five's tone had reached the point of almost begging.

"Since when have you gotten so sincere?" Rachel teased, giving his shoulder a gentle push.

He gave her a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah, well...I guess you rubbed off on me as much as I rubbed off on you all these years. Now come on."

He led the way into the bar. It was what one would expect of a burlesque bar in the sixties. The building had two floors worth of seating. In back by the doors was an ornate bar. A few patrons sat watching the grand stage at the front of the hall from tables and the bar. Currently, a woman in an orange costume was displaying herself for the cheering men. Beautifully dressed, she carried a giant orange feathered fan. Serving women in sparkling outfits scurried around to tables dropping off drinks. Thanks to the low lighting, the place looked decent. Yet, with a keen eye, the place was clearly a bit of a dump. Rachel immediately felt uncomfortable.

As soon as the two of them stepped inside, a kind looking serving girl stopped by them.

"Sweethearts, are you two lost? This is an adult bar. We don't allow minors here."

Five threw on his charming smile as he continued walking. Rachel followed as he turned back to the server.

"And what time do you get off work?"

He jumped as Rachel slapped him on his arm, not expecting her response to be so negative or physical. Five's goal was achieved, though. The serving girl laughed and put a finger to her mouth, clearly telling them not to let anyone know she had let them come in. As they found a seat at a table right by the stage, Five snaked an arm around Rachel's waist.

"Your jealousy has gotten worse in your old age, you know," he told her," You're still far prettier than her, whether you look thirteen or fifty-eight."

He leaned over and kissed Rachel's temple. She hated that she forgave him almost immediately. They watched the dancing girl for a few minutes before a deep voice sounded between them.

"She's too young for you. And picking someone up in front of your girlfriend is just inappropriate."

Five smirked.

"Nice to see you too, Luther."

Rachel looked up to see the tallest Hargreeves sibling. He looked good; all things considered. He wore a dark colored jacket and a blue button-down shirt. The jacket actually helped slim him down a bit, keeping the ape torso from being prominently displayed. His hair had grown out a bit and was styled back over his head. There was no smile to be found on his face. He was not overly excited to be reconnected with his brother and Rachel.

"What do you want?" Luther asked them, clearly irritated.

"For you to stop hovering like an ambitious stripper and sit down with me," Five quipped.

Luther pulled an empty chair over from another table and sat down beside Five. Jokes aside, Five looked up at his brother.

"How long have you been here?"

"A year, thanks to you."

Five nodded at his brother, ignoring the hostility.

"I'm sorry, Luther. I know that couldn't have been easy."

"I thought everybody was dead," Luther interrupted angrily.

His eyes wandered to a point behind Rachel and Five. Rachel turned and noted the commotion that was ramping up off at a table across the room. Irritation, anger, and the hazy, shifty feelings of a drunk person reached her.

"I gotta go," he told them, but Five reached out and grabbed him as he got up.

"Luther, wait."

Luther turned and looked back at the boy.

"Look, I get it, okay?" Five told him in a pleading tone," I know what it's like to be stuck in time…thinking this is how you're gonna live out the rest of your life. On the run, and not knowing if you're ever gonna see the people you love again, and to be in an unfamiliar world. But Luther, you're not alone. We have to find the others because the world ends again in ten days. I have no idea how to stop it."

Five waited for his brother's response. It came after a very short moment of silence.

"I don't give a shit."

Luther turned and walked away, leaving Five somewhat shell-shocked. Rachel had felt the wave of apathy coming, so the blow had been lessened, but she was still surprised by Luther's blasé response.

"Luther, hold on a moment," she called out, getting up.

Seeing that he hadn't moved, Rachel pushed Five's shoulder.

"Go after him," she hissed.

Five stumbled up out of his chair, recovering himself, and the two of them followed Luther as he stomped to the back of the room. The smaller sibling grabbed the big one by the arm and swung around in front of him. He pulled him to stop at the bar. Rachel stood beside her partner.

"What is wrong with you? I just told you the world's gonna end in ten days."

"Yeah, well, you're always saying that."

Luther attempted to leave but Five put a heavy hand to the man's chest keeping him there.

"And so far, I've been right."

"Look, you two want to go save the world? Knock yourselves out. All right? I already got a job."

Five's expression shifted to one of both disgust and concern.

"Wait, you work in this shithole?"

"Yeah. Well, my boss owns the place. I'm his body man."

"What's that? Like a masseuse or something?" Five questioned Luther's turn of phrase.

Rachel glanced back at the guy who looked like he was a mob boss. She cringed. He did not seem like the sort of person Luther would typically work for…or should.

"Okay, you can make fun all you want, but I take good care of Mr. Ruby."

Five and Rachel froze.

"Wait, Ruby," Five noted," _The _Jack Ruby, the gangster who shot Oswald?"

Rachel gave herself a mental pat on the back for her initial impression of the man's look. Aside from that, she could not figure out how Luther's brain had connected the dots to point him in the direction of being a gangster's "body man." Much less one with such an important part to play in history.

"Yeah, the one and only."

"Well, it finally happened. That gorilla DNA has taken over your mind."

Luther stepped toward Five.

"Hey, watch it, all right? Jack's a good friend."

"And you're Number One. _Número Uno_. Remember?"

"There is no Number One. Not anymore. Not in 1963. Look, I've been stranded here alone for a year. What did you expect?"

Five tried to appease his brother a bit.

"I get it, all right? You watched Pogo die, the world exploded, and I marooned your big dumb ass in time. I'm sorry, okay?"

Five sighed as Rachel rubbed her hands nervously. This discussion wasn't going as well as they had hoped, not by a long shot. Anger was spiking in front of her as well as at the table with Luther's boss.

"But I'm asking for your help, Luther. The Umbrella Academy needs you."

Luther shook his head.

"It doesn't need me. It never did."

Before Five could response, the serving girl came over from behind the two who looked like teenagers.

"Luther, honey, Jack's about to lose it on some half-wit. A little help?"

Five turned toward the bar, a bit defeated. Rachel could tell the girl was not wrong about Ruby. He was ramping up quickly to a rage.

"Ah, shit," Luther cursed, moving to aid his boss.

Five pushed himself away from the bar.

"Luther, wait."

Luther turned to him, his anger flaring.

"Listen. You're the genius who said we should jump. Right? You're the one who got us stuck here. _And_ you're the one who brought Vanya. So, if there is a doomsday coming, she's probably the cause. And if I was gonna do something about it, it sure as hell is _not_ gonna be with you."

The big man moved off to kick out the drunkard ticking off his boss, leaving Five standing there feeling smaller than the child body he was stuck in. Rachel carefully grabbed his shoulders and steered him to the bar. He grabbed the nearest unsupervised glass and took a drink while watching his brother at work. With a couple of sips in, Five shook his head as they watched Luther pick the man up and drag him to the entrance.

"Dad should've left him on the moon."

Rachel rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Come on. Maybe he'll change his mind in time. He's just angry right now."

"Yeah, well, you could have calmed him down."

The girl was surprised by the idea. Technically speaking she could have. She had never tried in a casual setting to get what she wanted from someone. She wondered if she could put enough emotion in a person to get them to do what she wanted instead of just feel how she wanted.

"Eh, Luther's probably not the best to start testing my powers on."

Five conceded her point with a shrug.

"True. He'd probably not even understand what he was feeling. Emotionally infantile and all… Fine. Let's go."

As Five got up, the sound of tearing rent the air between them. The two of them looked at the new rip in his blazer. His pocket had torn open slightly. Five reached into his pocket, finding something there.

"What's that?" Rachel asked.

The item as a square package in a yellow box. Turning it over, the back read "Frankel Footage" dated from November 22, 1963. Rachel looked up at Five.

"That's ten days from now."

"I think Hazel put this in my pocket just before he died. Come on, we need to see this."

Five grabbed Rachel's hand. The two raced out of the bar, heading back to Elliot's apartment.


	21. Chapter 20

By the time Rachel and Five returned to the apartment that doubled as a store, Elliot was already asleep. That was clear from the soft snores drifting in from a side bedroom. Five cursed in annoyance, but Rachel just laughed.

"Typical. You rush around like a mad man while everyone else has their priorities straight."

Five turned and glared at her.

"Priorities? Stopping an apocalypse is a much higher priority than anything else."

"Not more than sleep. You don't want that developed in a store, so you need to wait until Elliot has time to provide suggestions since he has suspicious items everywhere."

Five's upper lip crinkled in annoyance but chose to turn away and sigh instead of fight with her. Rachel meandered down the hallway, checking through doors. She found the bathroom, an oddly dark closet, and a second bedroom. The bedroom was relatively small. It just consisted of a double bed, drab colored bedding, and a very old set of furniture containing a vanity, dresser, and side table.

"There it is," she spoke to herself.

She moved back to Five and tugged him along.

"You're going to sleep or else you will be useless to everyone for the next nine days. If you try to refuse, I'm going to knock you out."

The boy allowed her to drag him to the second bedroom, knowing her reasoning was sound but still being peeved that Elliot was too comfortable with "aliens" invading his space. Rachel sat him on the bed before taking the Frankel Footage.

"Don't-" Five began to protest, but Rachel pointed a finger at him.

"Nope, sleep."

She placed the tape on a side table by the bed, patting it twice to show Five that it would remain right there. She then moved around to lie in the bed, kicking off her shoes as she did. Five took off his shoes and blazer before lying back on the bed. As the two stared up at the ceiling, Rachel grinned.

"Asleep yet?"

"I don't know how you think I'd be able to fall asleep in the two seconds since you stopped speaking."

Turning toward her companion, Rachel stared at him. She started by sending calming feelings his way. She watched the tensed muscles of his jaw release, his arms falling to his sides.

"Rach…"

His voice was quiet, tired, but still held a hint of disapproval. He knew what she was doing.

"Better than me singing you a lullaby, though."

"You know how I feel about you using your powers on me."

Rachel shuffled up closer to Five, so she hovered over him a bit. His eyes were closed but, feeling her movement, he opened an eye to look at her. He was clearly less concerned than he let on, possibly because of the calmness she was sending him.

"This is completely innocent," she pouted at him," Who else can I practice on?"

She sent a few waves of desire at him and his other eye shot open.

"Don't play with me," he told her, smirking.

He leaned over and took her hand, caressing her palm with his thumb. Rachel stopped and went back to filling him with calm. She then tried to send the hazy feeling of sleep. His eyes closed again, and, to her surprise, his breathing evened out, his thumb stopping its movements.

"Five?" she whispered.

She tapped his hand, his cheeks, and nothing. He was asleep. He had clearly been more exhausted than he was willing to let on. Rachel suddenly yawned and lay her head down on the pillow. Apparently, her thoughts of sleepiness made her feel that way as well. She was soon drifting out of consciousness.

It felt like no time at all had passed when she heard a loud clang from outside the room. She and Five both jolted up to an awake position.

"Ouch! Oops."

Elliot's voice reached them from the kitchen. The man was clearly used to living alone as he talked to himself very loudly.

"I smell coffee."

Five swung himself off the bed, putting on his blazer and grabbing the tape. Rachel tried to smooth out the bedhead she could see in the mirror across the room.

"I see that I'm less important that coffee," she noted, scooting to the end of the bed.

Five reached her in two strides, planting a kiss on her lips.

"If you knew how good Elliot's coffee is, you would understand."

"Good morning to you, too," Rachel grumbled," I think I'd rather use the shower before having coffee. Maybe you can pop out and get me something to wear that is less scandalous for a 1960s teenager? These shorts are too high for my age bracket here."

"Sounds doable."

Five gave her another quick kiss before disappearing from the room. A yelp sounded from the kitchen, making Rachel laugh in amusement. Poor Elliot.

An hour later, Rachel was examining the pictures on Elliot's wall in the living area with Five. A coffee in hand, the girl was now wearing beige capri pants and a black long-sleeved sweater. The plainness of the outfit really showed off Five's old man tastes. She was at least grateful he had the sense to get sneakers instead of heels or booties. They were black with white shoelaces, matching the outfit as much as could be expected. Maybe the two of them were getting too comfortable shoplifting thanks to Five's power…

"Elliot," Five started," did you develop these photos yourself?"

"Of course," the man responded proudly," Can't exactly drop that stuff off at the neighborhood Fotomat."

_Certainly not_, Rachel thought to herself. They were clearly candid photos taken of the Hargreeves arriving in the 1960s. All the photos were taken from a distance. Elliot would easily have been pegged as some sort of creep.

"Government has eyes everywhere," Elliot continued, digging into his bowl of cereal.

Rachel took a sip of her coffee, giving Elliot the side eye. Apparently, government conspiracy was the only thing on the man's mind. The concept of him being an oddball never crossed his mind.

"I didn't see a darkroom," Five pointed out.

"Yeah, I converted the hallway closet."

A high-pitched sound came from one of his various machines. As Elliot turned to adjust it, Five grabbed a pen off the table and scratched out the date on the footage Hazel gave them. Moving forward, he held out the tape to Elliot.

"Can you develop this?"

"Hmm?"

Elliot turned and took the yellow package from Five. He examined the back of it.

"Huh. "Frankel Footage." Friends of yours?"

Five gave the man his annoyed, "barely willing to deal with idiocy" smile.

"Cousins on my robot mother's side. Can you do it or not?"

Elliott nodded.

"Sure I can."

Rachel frowned at Elliot. The man was strangely calm with them. He was actually quite happy to have people to talk to about his odd ideas and proclivities. As far as she could diagnose, he also had a bad case of being too nice for his own good.

"How long?"

"Well, I mean, I'm running low on acetic acid. Beeker's Cameras is open today, but it's two miles away. I mean, I'd have to take the bus. On the other hand, Gibson's is only ten blocks away, but I gotta cut through the park, and there's this overbreed of pigeons-"

"Elliot," Five cut off his rambling.

Rachel smiled around her coffee mug. She'd decided. She liked Elliot. She wondered to what degree she was a sadist who enjoyed watching Five get annoyed at people. It was probably because he no longer used his "Are you stupid?" tone on her with regularity.

"It's like five, maybe six hours."

They got to avoid the explosion of annoyance that would have been Five thanks to the radio beside them kicking on. Rachel moved over and joined them to better hear.

"_Attention all units, we have a code 3-15 at the Holbrook Sanitarium._"

Five looked up at Elliot.

"The hell is a code 3-15?"

"Mmm," Elliot spoke around his chewing," fugitives on the run."

Five led them closer to the radio as he tried to hear better.

"_Twenty-five patients still at large. Many are considered armed and dangerous._"

Rachel raised an eyebrow as her partner sighed.

"Oh, Diego," she heard him whisper.

The girl coughed on her sip of coffee.

"Wait, Diego's a fugitive?"

"Oh, who's Diego?" Elliot asked.

Five thought for a second.

"Imagine Batman, then aim lower."

Elliot nodded in feigned understanding while Rachel snorted in amusement. She could sense Five's emotional pleasure from her acknowledging his comment.

"You get started on that film," the boy told Elliot," I'll be back as soon as I can."

Rachel rushed to put down her coffee mug and followed Five as he headed to the kitchen.

"You mean we! See you later, Elliot."

"Uh, bye!"

Rachel followed Five down the back stairs to the alley.

"Do you know where Diego is?" she asked Five as they stepped out into the sunshine.

"That idiot plans on killing Oswald, so I have a strong suspicion…"

"Texas School Book Depository?"

"I will never be able to express how much I appreciate your intelligence compared to my family's."

Five took Rachel's hand as they headed toward their destination. Five would jump at strategic moments, getting them to their goal faster. Upon reaching the square brick building, they found a car parked on the street just down the road from the entrance. The two crouched and examined those in the car.

"Are those two females? Their hair length is similar."

Five shook his head.

"No, that's Diego in the passenger seat."

"Oh, right…I see the beard now…" she noted squinting," How did he manage to get an accomplice?"

"I don't know but come on."

In the blink of an eye, the two of them were in the backseat of the car. The two in the front did not notice the new arrivals.

"Then why are you doing this?" the female asked Diego.

"Because he is an idiot," Five answered on his brother's behalf.

The woman whipped around in surprise while Diego just shook his head slightly.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked, looking between the two of them.

"Hi," Five said, putting on his fake smile," I'm his loving brother."

"Who left me to rot in the nuthouse," Diego pointed out.

"To protect you from yourself."

The woman seemed to accept the information readily.

"That's quite sweet."

"Isn't it though?" Rachel grinned," I'm his loving brother's girlfriend. Are you Diego's new girlfriend?"

Diego got more annoyed.

"Okay, all of you, out."

Five leaned forward, focusing on his brother.

"Lose the crazy lady and come with us. We have important business."

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

The car was quiet as Five looked out toward the street and then back at his brother.

"Okay, fine."

Rachel pressed herself to the back of the chair as Five hopped over her and leaned toward a broken driver side window of the car. Clearly, that was how the fugitives had commandeered the car.

"Officer!" Five called out the window.

Rachel ducked farther into the seat as Diego shouted, lunged across her, and grabbed his brother.

"What are you doing?"

"I hear there's a reward out for you two."

The brother's stared at each other. Diego glared while Five smiled, testing the bearded man. The woman in the driver's seat looked back.

"He's bluffing."

There was a moment of hesitation before Diego's tension released and a feeling of defeat hit him.

"He's not. Fine. I'll go with you."

"What about me?"

Everyone else in the car looked at Diego's girl.

"And I'm bringing the crazy lady."

She smiled at his response. Five looked over at Rachel. Looking at the girl, she could sense a lot of amusement, excitement, and a bit of trauma. If the woman was crazy, then her emotions would be pretty scattered and find a weird situation like this fun. Check and Check.

"If having her means we get Diego, bring her along," Rachel told Five.

Her partner sighed and leaned back in his new seat. The girl moved to better sit behind Diego.

"Alright, fine. Let's get back to Elliot's."

Five directed the crazy lady, who they soon found out was named Lila, toward Morty's.


	22. Chapter 21

Rachel frowned as they turned onto the same street as Morty's. She could sense Elliot. He was terrified and worried. Something wasn't right. After Lila parked the car at Five's command, they got out with him leading the way. Rachel sped up to get close to him.

"Elliot is having a bit of a freak out right now. Should I…?"

Five looked back at her and gave his head a slight shake.

"Don't worry, I don't think he can really touch us. Just be prepared to sedate him subtly."

"I vote for a different way of referring to my power, but I understand now is not the moment for that debate."

The group of four entered Morty's from the storefront. They slowly ascended the staircase on the right side. As soon as they all reached the living area, Elliot appeared through the kitchen, moving forward and pointing a gun at them.

"Where did you get the film?" the man demanded," 'The Frankel Footage.' The _truth_ this time."

He blinked rapidly as he yelled, showing a physical sign of his fear. He was truly afraid of them. Rachel knew that was actually an accurate thing, but she felt bad because Elliot had been nice to them so far. While the members of the Umbrella Academy kept their calm, Rachel was comforted by the fact that Lila's anxiety spiked. She may be crazy, but she was not stupid.

"You know this lunatic?" Diego asked Rachel and Five, eyes glued to the gun.

Five just sighed.

"New acquaintance. He's harmless."

"Are you sure about that?" Lila questioned.

Elliot moved toward them until he was in the center of the room.

"Are you or are you not an enemy of the people?"

Rachel cringed. The members of the Umbrella Academy were all of like mind as they spoke at the same time.

"Such an open-ended question, yeah."

"Really depends on the people."

"When you are standing on a certain side of an issue..."

Lila looked between them all like they were the crazy ones. Their comments did nothing to appease Elliot.

"You move one more muscle, I will blow your brains out."

Diego glanced over at his younger companions.

"You want to take this or should I?"

"No, we got him," Five responded, slightly irritated," Now, Rach."

Diego got Lila's attention as Five disappeared from beside Rachel. The girl aided her partner by inundating Elliot with feelings of fatigue to slow his reflexes. Five reappeared in front of Elliot, knocking the gun upward just as it went off, causing him to shoot the ceiling. Diego walked over with a few strides and pulled the gun from Elliot's hands with ease. Elliot's fear spiked, but Rachel ramped it up to the point that he was frozen in place. Diego rid the gun of its bullets. The shorter girl looked up at the taller one with a raised eyebrow. Her emotions were of amusement and confusion. Not much concern anymore.

"What the hell just happened?" Lila asked, sputtering and laughing at the same time.

Rachel shrugged and moved over to Five.

"He shouldn't be moving. I'll tie him up."

Grabbing a pile of rope from Elliot's messy table, she put some around his hands and then bound his feet. She knew he regretted having so much miscellaneous items in his apartment as she worked. She was nice enough to use a dishtowel in his mouth as a gag.

"Let's see this tape he clearly watched without us, then," Five announced," Let's set up the kitchen."

"Yes, boss," Rachel quipped, getting her a look from Five.

"We can role-play that out later," he snapped back.

Diego pretended to retch from behind them.

"Could you two just not right now, please?"

Rachel just laughed as Five humored his brother and led the way to the closet that doubled as a dark room. Diego carried Elliot while coaxing Lila into coming with them. As Five fetched the projector from the dark room, Rachel motioned for Diego to set Elliot down on a chair in the kitchen. Lila pulled up a chair next to him, propped Elliot's feet on her lap, pulled a bottle of green nail polish from her pocket, and began painting his toenails. Five rolled a cart with a projector into the middle of the kitchen. Diego pulled down the projector screen before hopping up onto the kitchen counter to watch and Rachel leaned against it, her shoulder leaning on Diego's forearm. She turned to her old friend as Five set up the projector, checking to make sure he knew how it worked.

"Sorry your brother left you in a mental institute. For what it's worth, I wasn't yet in this time."

Diego shrugged at her.

"He mentioned. You really don't need to apologize for his bad behavior. You'll be apologizing for the rest of your life if you do."

The two shared a smile. Rachel nudged him with her elbow.

"I'm only apologizing because it's you. You know he cares; he just shows it badly. I'm okay with apologizing to family on his behalf."

Diego leaned his head against hers.

"You know…I never got around to saying this…probably because having you back came so abruptly and in a really screwed up way…but I'm glad you married into the family...sort of."

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him in surprise. She had never expected him to say that. Years in a mental institute apparently meant a lot of contemplation time for Diego to sort through some feelings at least, if not his whole hero complex. He leaned over and kissed the side of her head.

"Love you, sis."

Rachel bit her lip.

"Don't make me cry, Diego."

She surprised him this time by hugging him around his middle. He gave her a one-armed hug in response before Five looked up, done with the projector, and gave the two of them a disapproving look. The two parted with Rachel waving a hand at Five to tell him it was nothing. Diego pulled out a knife to occupy himself and ignore his brother's jealous look.

Five started up the footage. Voices kicked in with an older woman on screen first.

"Is it on?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean? There's an 'on' button. Just- There's something over-that jigga-ma-thing, whatever."

The camera tilted as the woman went to help the man behind the camera. There was a clear view of the Texas School Book Depository as what was clearly a couple kept playing with the camera.

"They're so cute," Lila noted, "I love old couples. I'm always so proud of them for not murdering each other."

"Then you'll love being around Five and Rachel," Diego said in a monotone," Why are we watching this?"

"Shush," was Five's response.

Now a man was on screen, the husband of the woman.

"Yeah, I…I'm Dan Frankel. And…"

"I'm Edna Frankel."

"Edna Frankel. We are in Dallas, Texas, to see the president. Today's date is November 22, 1963."

Diego and Lila's attentions were now very focused on the film.

"Well, that's six days from now," Lila noted.

"Holy shit. This is it," Diego said, leaning forward," The grassy knoll. Kennedy's about to get shot. How do you have this?"

"Hazel died to get me this footage. It must be the key to stopping doomsday."

Diego's eyebrow raised as he flooded with surprise.

"Hazel?"

"Long story."

"What's doomsday?" Lila asked.

"Longer story."

"What exactly did he say to you?" Diego demanded.

"Well, he was killed before he could explain. But whatever he wanted us to see, it's on this film."

The screen erupted in gunshots and people screaming. The camera tilted as the couple filming started to run.

"Oswald," Diego murmured.

In the midst of the bouncing and rotating footage, there was something familiar that appeared on the screen.

"Was that-?" Rachel asked, choking on the rest of the sentence.

"Oh, no," Five mumbled, turning back the footage.

After a moment he stopped it and pulled the cart back to enlarge the screen. Diego got up off the counter in stunned silence.

"This can't be," Five said in awe, moving toward the screen with his brother.

"Okay, you gonna fill me in now, boys?" Lila asked, a sense of worry striking her," What the hell is this shit we're watching?"

Rachel didn't have to go toward the screen to recognize who the image looked like. The screen showed a tall man in a dark suit carrying an open black umbrella. He had a pointed beard and a monocle over his left eye.

"No, that's impossible," Diego stated.

"Clearly, it's not," Five said with venom.

"Whu…Whu ih ih?" Elliot asked through the gag around his mouth.

"Dad," the two men said together.

Lila looked up at Rachel who had moved around to her side of the projector.

"Did they say dad?"

"Yeah, this is a younger version of their dad…somehow at the assassination of the president."

Rachel frowned at the screen as Diego moved across the room to sit on the kitchen table. Five began pacing in front of the screen, anxiety rising from both.

"Of course Dad would be involved in the assassination. I should've known," Diego commented, his long-standing disgust with his father rising the surface.

Five shook his head, his old man pacing picking up speed.

"No, you're jumping to conclusions."

"Well, what the hell else is he doing standing on the grassy knoll, holding an open black umbrella on a sunny day in Dallas the exact same moment the president gets shot?" Diego shouted, getting up from his sitting position.

Rachel groaned and crossed her arms in front of her. Another Hargreeves family argument was brewing.

"It doesn't look good, I admit."

"No, he's the signalman for the whole goddamn thing."

"Easy, Diego. Seriously."

"No, it makes sense. This is what Hazel was obviously trying to tell you. We have to stop Dad from killing the president."

The fact that Diego could only harp on one thing kept getting clearer and clearer to Rachel. No wonder Five had left him in time out for a day.

"Diego, calm down, all right? Dad was no Boy Scout, but presidential assassination? It's never been his thing."

"How would you know? You skipped out on his golden years."

Rachel took an inhalation of breath. Diego had pressed a bad button on Five.

"Skipped out? You think I had it easy, Diego? You think I just waltzed off with Rachel to tiptoe through some tulips? We were alone together for 45 years!"

Diego's face twitched, wanting to say something but knowing he shouldn't. Rachel moved over and put a hand on Five's shoulder. She seemed to shake him out of his anger a bit. That was not wholly by accident on his account nor Diego's.

"You know what? We don't have time for this right now," Five decided, moving away from Rachel's grasp to pace again," Dad's clearly in Dallas, right? Let's just go talk to him. Maybe he can help us fix the timeline."

Diego shook his head.

"Dallas is a big place. We need to find him first."

Five scoffed.

"Gee, if only we had some magical, old-timey way of finding people and their addresses."

Rachel moved off to find the Telephone Directory, which was luckily right by Elliot's phone. She dropped it down on the kitchen table for the males. Diego quickly began scanning through it. Rachel looked past them to see Lila heading to a back room. She radiated sadness, but Rachel could tell it wasn't the type of sadness you talk to with someone you just met. It was deep seated. She turned back to the males.

"Let's start simple. His name."

"Hargreeves…Hargreeves...Hargreeves…Shit, nothing here."

"Try his company, D.S. Umbrella Manufacturing Co."

Diego turned to glare at his brother.

"Yeah, I know the name. Thanks."

He began looking at it while Rachel gave Five an irritated look. He scrunched up his face at her, clearly asking "_What?_" with his eyes. His partner pinched her thumb and pointer before pulling them across the front of her lips and shrugging at him. Her intent was clear: "_Why do you have to take the talking too far?_" Five looked at her incredulously before pointing at Diego, then at his own head. He was saying he could never tell since Diego was dumber than him. Rachel just rolled her eyes at him.

"Holy shit," Diego said softly," 'D.S. Umbrella. Eighty-two Olive.' Let's go."

The three began walking out of the building with Diego pulling up the screen so they could pass through the kitchen door. Elliot made noises from his chair, watching them go.

"He okay to leave here like that?" Diego asked.

"Yeah, he's fine," Five responded, unconcerned," What about the girl?"

The three members of the Academy stopped and looked back into the kitchen to see that she had disappeared. Diego cursed and Five sighed. Rachel pointed to a door in the back for Diego's convenience

"She's in the closet. Dark room. Be nice."

As Diego left them to talk to her, Five put his hands in his pockets and looked over at Rachel. She pouted at him.

"No…Five, come on. I'd be the best person for tracking down your Dad."

"Yes, but I need someone I trust to look after these two. That girl was in a mental institute and needs looking after. Diego has no idea what he is doing with her, so just keep an eye on her. I don't trust her. You can untie Elliot when you feel he won't actually harm either of you or…when the crazy lady finishes with his fingernails."

Rachel looked down at the floor and sighed, her hands rubbing themselves together. She watched as Five's hand took one of hers, stopping her nervous tick. His other hand lifted her chin.

"I always come back," he reminded her softly, a grin on his face.

"Sure, but not always how you left. Remember the shrapnel? We don't have Grace anymore."

Five couldn't disagree with her statement. Instead, he kissed her. Rachel pushed him away by his chest.

"Don't distract me. When I'm right you can just say it."

"No, I'm definitely not going to do that."

He kissed her again, but this time she let him. By the time Diego got back they were in a full blown make out session.

"I'm really tired of walking in on you two and your public displays of affection. Isn't attraction supposed to wane with age?"

Five pulled away from Rachel with a smirk on his face.

"Even scientifically speaking the answer is no. But the extra vitality of our teenage bodies isn't hurting us any."

Diego just made a face and headed for the stairs.

"Gross."

"Good luck, Diego!" Rachel called after him.

She got a raised hand in response. Five put his hands in his pockets, kissed her cheek, and headed out.

"I love you!" Rachel called after him in an expectant tone.

"Goes without saying."

Rachel couldn't help but smile.

"Only so many new tricks you can teach an old dog. At least I no longer need to hide things from Dolores."


	23. Chapter 22

Lila came in grinning at Rachel, who just raised an eyebrow at her. The girl had come out of the back room eventually, only to stand and stare. Rachel was becoming sick of the almost constant amusement radiating from her.

"If you have questions or comments, ask them instead of smiling creepily at me," Rachel grumped.

The woman grinned at her.

"We should follow them."

Rachel crossed her arms at the suggestion. Tilting her head, she squinted at the dark-haired woman.

"Why?"

Lila scoffed at her and stood up.

"Oh, come on! You're dying to go after them to make sure your boyfriend is okay. I'm worried about Diego. I've learned he can be pretty bullheaded. So, it stands to reason, that we should follow them before it's hard to track them."

Rachel crossed her arms. Bullheaded was certainly one way to describe the vigilante wannabe. She bit the inside of her cheek as she examined Lila. She took in the shining brown eyes and the hair that looked like she'd taken scissors to them herself. She caught a rising affection for Diego swirling amongst the strange girl's constantly shifting emotions. If only the amusement shut off for just a little bit…

"You don't love him, but you like him enough to stalk him?"

"He's kind of stupid…but in an endearing way."

"Well, I can't say you don't know him, then."

Rachel moved over toward Lila and looked straight up at her.

"Let me make this clear. You do anything to get me or them in danger, you'll be surprised how quickly your dead body will be on the floor."

The girl braced herself as she felt a spike of affection from Lila. She easily dodged the hug that was flung at her by taking a step back and to the right.

"Oh, I like you. Feisty, fiery, yet in such a mature and subtle way."

Rolling her eyes, Rachel began moving toward the stairs. She knew Lila was coming quickly behind her.

"So, what's the deal with you and them anyway?" Lila asked to no response.

Stepping outside, Rachel recalled the map she had looked at with Five and Diego. She began marching off toward D.S. Umbrella. Lila chattered along in her wake.

"You can't have known them that long, right? You are like…what? Eleven?"

Rachel opened her eyes wider, insulted somehow, but willed herself back to a neutral space. She lost to herself.

"Eleven? This is a thirteen-year-old body," she muttered to the woman, turning down the next road.

"Alright, thirteen and yet you and cute shorts have an oddly mature relationship going for you. I'd almost be convinced the two of you have shaken the sheets by now, if you know what I mean."

Rachel had to squint every so often as they moved through the streets as it was dark now. The streetlights only helped them on some roads. The woman trapped in a teenage body begged for a car to swing around the corner and take out the chatterbox behind her. Lila jogged up next to Rachel making her curse under her breath.

"Hey, talk to me. Woman to woman. What's the story with you and the boys?"

With an annoyed sigh, Rachel glanced at Lila.

"I've known Diego and his siblings since I was five years old. I've been…with…Five…_a while_."

"Like since you were three or like ten? What do kids consider _a while_ now? And for that while have you two been belly-bumping?"

Rachel blanched and looked up at the raven-haired girl. She regretted speaking up as soon as Lila's eyes twinkled in the streetlight they passed.

"Please don't ever let me hear that phrase come out of your mouth again."

"Oh, what do you prefer? Burying the weasel? Hiding the bishop? Schnoodlypooping? Baking the potato?"

Rachel wondered if the sickening feeling in her stomach was how all the siblings felt about Klaus. She realized she would rather be locked in a room with Luther, her least favorite of the Hargreeves, for a week than endure this woman. At least he would barely be able to make conversation.

"Baking the-? Do you just have an encyclopedia on you with euphemisms so you can irritate me to death?"

Rachel actually had to hold herself back from smacking Lila. The woman shrugged before laughing.

"Okay, okay. New question. Why do you call him Five? That can't be his name."

"You'd be surprised what a name can be. How about instead you tell me about how you met Diego?"

It was a relief to get Lila talking about her and Diego instead of asking questions Rachel was not sure she should answer. With Lila's special brand of conversational flare, she talked about how she and Diego met at the mental institute, got along well enough, and how she stuck to him like glue. She was still going by the time they arrived at their destination. They spotted the empty car just in front of the building. Rachel could sense that the two males had separated. Diego was already out of the building. She turned to Lila, looking at her seriously.

"Go into the yard to the left there, you should run into Diego. He's moving somewhat slowly out that way. Probably followed something. I'm going to head inside and find Five. And, please note, I can keep an eye on you without seeing you."

Lila looked at her funny.

"Right…That way. Got it. Good luck."

"Yeah."

The girl shook her head as she watched Lila run off. Rachel found the front door of the building open. Five's feelings moved slowly, centered on one side of the building. Probably checking one room at a time. The office was pitch dark and very dusty. Rachel switched on a light, only to watch it shut off after a second.

"That's disturbing," she said to herself.

Going through a door on the right, she moved to the nearest staircase. She was one floor down from Five when a wave of pain crashed into her. It was from Diego. She spun on the spot wondering if she should go find him. He felt like he was dying. All of his feelings were fading and focused on the pain.

"Shit…But Lila's got him…can I trust her?"

She paced the stairs she was on, going back and forth on who to go to. She felt Five lingering in one particular room with feelings of relief, concern, and happiness. She decided he would be fine. She had just made it down the flight of steps when she felt Five radiate with pain.

"Five!" she shouted, bounding up the staircase two at a time, Diego thrown to the back of her mind, "Five, its me!"

She burst into a hallway to find Five running out of a room toward her. He had a hand clutched over his neck.

"What the hell?" they both asked each other at the same time.

Rachel grabbed Five's arm and tried to check what was under his hand. He resisted, moving backwards away from her.

"Rachel, I _told _you to stay with Elliot and Lila."

"Yeah, well, we ladies needed some air. What happened to your neck?"

"Leave it, I'm fine! Where is Diego?"

"Dying, maybe? I can sense Lila's got him. She just started driving off with him."

Five cursed, grabbing Rachel's wrist with his free hand and began dragging her out of the building.

"No one and nothings here…now anyway. The building is a front. The place was full of fake doll families and…Pogo."

"Pogo?" Rachel asked in shock.

"A very young and aggressive Pogo. He scratched my neck."

Rachel did not say anything, but it was a blessing the chimp hadn't done worse. Five used his signature travel methods to get them back a good fifteen minutes after Lila and Diego.

When Five made them appear in Elliot's apartment, Lila was squatting over Diego with a tool she was using to cauterize his wound. It looked like she had undressed him and put a sheet over his lower half to work. Rachel frowned, wondering how the woman knew how to tend a wound like that.

"Knife or gun?" Rachel asked.

"Knife."

Rachel's frown deepened. Five sighed and moved forward.

"Oh. He isn't dead," he said casually, belying his relief.

Lila looked up at them.

"Disappointed?" she asked.

"Oh, to see you? Always."

Five grabbed some of the gauze Lila had out on the coffee table. He moved back to the kitchen's opening and leaned against the frame while holding the gauze to his neck. Rachel raided the table for rubbing alcohol and more gauze.

"So much hostility in such a tiny package," Lila noted," Did you cut yourself shaving? I could teach you to shave like a big boy."

Rachel could feel Five's dislike of the woman deepening, something that pleased her. They felt the same about her. He just sighed out through his nose with disgust instead of letting her bait him.

"No, I just ran into an old family friend."

As his partner came toward him, he removed the gauze and glanced back into the kitchen. Elliot was there, still gagged and tied up in his chair. He was completely asleep.

"You didn't untie him?" Five asked, looking between Lila and Rachel.

The females exchanged a look before staring back at him.

"Slipped my mind."

"Was I supposed to?"

Rachel put the items she had gathered on the kitchen table while she and Five both freed Elliot from his bindings. He stayed knocked out, so they just left him in the chair.

Rachel grabbed the medical supplies before urging Five to the spare room. Getting him to sit down, she began cleaning his neck. He cursed something fierce when she used the rubbing alcohol.

"That hurts worse than the scratch! I don't know why you're babying me so much."

"Because I can. You're lucky it isn't deep. It'll fade pretty quickly."

Five scanned Rachel's face as she worked on him. He noted the furrowed brown and the steely look in her eyes.

"You're mad at me."

It was an observation, not a question. The girl didn't say anything as she finished patching him up and put the supplies back out in the living room. Lila had somehow managed to relocate Diego to Elliot's bedroom. Getting back to where Five was, she found him waiting for her. He raised his eyebrows at her, signaling her to speak. Closing the door behind her, and locking it for good measure against Lila, she took off her shoes before sitting next to Five.

"Of course, I'm mad. One, you left me with that woman. Two, your father _stabbed_ Diego."

"I told you why I left you here and, to be fair to Dad, we broke into his building and he doesn't know who we are."

"Sure, but that could have been you! When we worked for the Commission, I accepted we could die at any time. Unlikely, but possible. Now, I seem to have an entire life to live again and I'd rather not go through it without you. In fact, I can't go through it without you."

Five opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, he closed it and considered Rachel for a moment. Moving closer to her, he took her hand.

"This is my fault. If I'd just gotten the formula right-"

Rachel groaned and shook her head at him.

"I don't care about that, Five! Sure, it's obnoxious being mistaken for a kid constantly, I can't deny that. But getting to see you back with your siblings, getting to be with them again myself, and possibly having more time with you outside a world that has been destroyed. Having you to myself now…"

She squeezed his hand.

"I'd accept this body for all of that every time. But not…not if I have to do this alone."

There was a sharp intake of breath from her partner. Rachel was sharing it with him. The fear that gripped her at the thought of losing him. Five reached out, stroking her cheek.

"You know I feel the same way, right?" his eyes searched hers.

Her eyes drifted away from his and down toward her lap.

"Only since you let me use my powers…"

"Rachel, I've always felt that way, I swear. I'm sorry that I make you worry, but I leave you in places I feel are safe so that I don't have to feel like I might lose you. If I do almost everything that's dangerous, like how things were at the Commission, then I know you'll be there when I get back."

Five moved his head into her line of vision again, making her look at him. He gave her one of his genuine smiles, an awkward one due to its rarity.

"I can't promise I won't keep putting myself in situations that worry you. But I can promise I will do _anything_ I have to so that I come back to you. Can we compromise with that?"

Rachel gave him a small smile.

"I guess that is the best we can do in our situation…being part of the Umbrella Academy and all."

She sensed Five's relief and pleasure. Her eyebrows shot up as Five pulled his hand from hers and swiftly slipped the arm around her waist. She had no time to question him as she was tugged toward him. Her hands met his chest as he kissed her. She melted into it, his feelings seeping into her. Pulling back, he broadly smiled at her.

"I love you, Rachel."

A thrill moved through her, her heart skipping a beat at his words. Never had her name been placed beside those words. Words caught in her throat as tried to fight the tears blurring her vision.

"I-I'm s-sorry," she told him, trying to rein in her emotions.

Five held her tighter, the hand that was on her cheek dropping to her neck.

"No, I'm sorry," he replied, kissing her forehead," I should have said it correctly. Far sooner than thirty-eight years. Rach, I love you."

He kissed her again, this time guiding her onto her back. She felt her sweater being tugged upwards. Rachel parted from Five to glance at the door.

"Lila's still awake in the other room and Elliot's-"

"Don't worry about them," Five told her between kisses down her neck," I want you to share your feelings with me completely. Willingly. Will you?"

She let her sweater be tugged off.

"Really? _You'd_ want that?"

Five smiled at her as he felt her hands untucking his shirt from beneath his sweater vest.

"Absolutely. I won't hold back if you won't."

There was only a moments hesitation before Rachel allowed her feelings out like she never had before. She heard Five grunt quietly in surprise as they flooded him. His head lifted so his blue eyes met hers.

"We should have done this ages ago."

Rachel smirked before grabbing his tie and pulling him back down in a kiss. It was a long while before either got any sleep, but it was one of the most restful of their lives to date.


	24. Chapter 23

The sun was barely up, yet Elliot, Rachel, and Five were ready for the day. Rachel sipped some coffee from a mug in one hand and ate a banana from the other, all while leaning against the kitchen table. Five drank his own coffee, which was already almost gone.

"Anyone hear us last night?" he asked, quietly.

Rachel nodded her head toward Elliot's bedroom where Lila and Diego were sleeping.

"Lila. Not that I could focus on anything besides you, but she was lingering in the kitchen for a time."

Five smirked, acknowledging her words. She rolled her eyes as his ego inflated. He drained the last of his coffee and set it down in the sink.

"Hmm, well, I'm surprised you didn't wake up the neighborhood."

Rachel, who had just finished the last of her banana, threw the peel at Five. He chuckled and caught it, throwing it away for her.

"Oh, please! I just hope Lila doesn't approach me later about hiding the bishop…"

Five looked confused.

"Is that some sort of chess term?"

"Don't worry about it…really…"

An odd buzzing sounded from the living room where Elliot was eating his breakfast cereal.

"Hey, we got one!" he called out.

Rachel raised an eyebrow at Five who just turned into the living room. Placing the dregs of her coffee on the kitchen table, she followed her partner.

"Hey, one of those machines you asked for is going crazy."

"Which one?"

"It's the, uh, atmospheric radar."

"You asked for something like that?"

"I asked for a lot of things before you got here."

Elliot was seated in front of the table at the left side of the room from the kitchen. It was covered in all kinds of equipment and screens. As Five and Rachel leaned on either side of Elliot, there was a green screen that pinpointed an area that looked like a swirling storm.

"Good," Five noted.

"I don't get it. What are you tracking?" Elliot asked, "A hurricane? A storm front?"

"Sound waves," Five announced in triumph.

"Sound waves," Elliot repeated.

Rachel was just connecting the dots when Five grabbed her wrist and they appeared in a cornfield. The girl whistled as she looked around.

"Damn, Vanya…" she whispered.

They were standing in a circle of flattened cornstalks. In the very center was a small crater. Rachel spun around to look at Vanya's handiwork.

"Does this mean she created the first crop circle?" she asked Five.

"It's possible. Do you sense her?"

Rachel seemed to remember they had a matter at hand to deal with.

"Right, this way," she noted, moving off through a still standing portion of the cornfield.

The female treaded through the cornstalks gracefully while Five cursed and smacked his way after her. She couldn't help but smirk.

"If she runs off, its because you sound like an elephant," she told him quietly.

"This is just obnoxious. How the hell would I find her without you?"

"Count your lucky stars you don't have to know. Now, hush."

Rachel stepped out into an area of space among the cornstalks. Five stumbled out behind her with a scoff, fixing his blazer. He looked to his partner who grinned and tilted her head toward a portion of the plants around them. As he took the lead, Rachel followed after him. Vanya's huddled form could be seen just past the stalks. Five smiled as he parted the greenery to reveal her.

"Hi, Vanya."

The girl looked just as they remembered, only she was currently wearing a blue jacket, a blue plaid button down, and jeans. Confusion and fear swirled around her.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your brother," Five told her, as if he were speaking to a toddler being introduced to their sibling, "This is your best friend."

"I have a brother?" she asked, standing up, "And a best friend?"

Vanya was quite astonished. Five and Rachel exchanged glances. She clearly had amnesia if she didn't know them.

"Multiple brothers, in fact. Also, I'm older than I look," Rachel told her.

Five grew impatient.

"Look, you can either stay here and wait for the IKEA mafia to come back to kill you, or you can come with us."

He quickly began walking back the way they came. Rachel put a hand on her hip, feeling that Five could use a little more graciousness, but she just motioned for Vanya to go ahead of her so she could keep her in sight.

"Wh…Why are they trying to kill me?" Vanya asked, stumbling and stuttering after her sibling.

"'Cause you're not supposed to be here, Vanya."

The boy at least did a better job of sliding through the cornstalks, allowing Vanya to keep pace with him.

"In Dallas?"

"No. Here, in 1963."

As they stepped out into the clearing, Vanya's emotions shifted to that of awe.

"H-Holy sh-shit."

"Yeah, pretty wild, right? It's good to see your powers are still intact. Let's go."

The three walked back to the end of the field. Vanya noted that she had a car with her, so they were able to drive into town. On the way, Five refused to entertain any conversation that answered Vanya's questions, saying he needed more coffee before saying anything. Rachel instead took the time to talk about their friendship at least. It seemed to comfort Vanya to be told something about her past.

They found a diner between the cornfield and Morty's and stopped inside to talk. It was a narrow diner with quite the crowd. Luckily for them, the counter was empty of people. The three sat there, with Vanya between them. After Five ordered coffee for them all, Vanya looked at him.

"You gonna tell me what the hell's going on?"

Five turned toward his female companions.

"When you were a baby, you were bought by an eccentric billionaire."

Rachel stared into her coffee cup, shaking her head. He could never pull punches, not even for an amnesiac.

"He raised you in an elite academy with six other siblings with extraordinary powers, but in the year 2019, in order to avoid the apocalypse, we jumped into a vortex and ended up being scattered throughout the timeline in Dallas, Texas."

Vanya, mouth open in shock, checked Rachel's face. She gave her grimace that was an attempt at a smile. Vanya then looked at the coffee in her hands.

"Any questions?"

"What do you mean, 'the apocalypse'?" she asked, her eyes meeting Five's.

"I mean the end of the world as we know it," he breathed.

"Yeah, but how?"

Five's eyes searched her face.

"You really don't remember anything?"

"No, nothing more than a month ago."

"Then what do you remember?"

"I landed in, like, a…back alley. Got hit by a car. My head was ringing like crazy. I had no idea how I got there, where I came from."

Rachel put a hand on Vanya's arm, causing her to smile at the gesture. It was really tearing Vanya up that she could not remember her life before.

"What causes the apocalypse?" Vanya asked.

Five looked away, hesitating. Rachel knew he didn't want to hurt her. Having amnesia was hard enough but telling her she caused the apocalypse could be disastrous.

"Asteroid impact. The big kaboom ends everything. Just like the one that got the dinosaurs, except way worse. Bad news is it followed us here."

Vanya was not wholly convinced by this explanation; Rachel could sense it. She kept quiet, letting it play out.

"What do you mean, 'followed us'?"

"Eight days from now, the world ends in a nuclear doomsday. It's a different disease, but…same result."

Rachel's hand on Vanya tightened as the girl began to panic.

"That can't be right."

"I saw it. With my own eyes."

Five sighed.

"You were there. We all were."

Five met Rachel's gaze as he said that. She bit her lip and turned away. Vanya didn't need to know a small detail like Rachel being dead if Five hadn't shown up when he did.

"Shit. I need to make a phone call," Vanya said, freeing herself of Rachel and getting up.

Five called after her, but Rachel leaned over and shook her head at him.

"Let her process."

"We don't have time for her to process, Rachel."

He moved to get up, but Rachel hopped into Vanya's vacated seat and yanked him down to sit. Her partner glared, but she just returned the favor.

"Give her a minute. She clearly has people here who took care of her and you just dropped so much information on her. Sure, you could have said worse, but it is still a lot to take in."

Five groaned at her before tapping a finger on the counter.

"She gets two minutes. Then we're out of here."

Yanking himself free from Rachel's grasp, the girl just put her hands up.

"Two minutes," she repeated.

The male was true to his word. He downed his coffee and, after two minutes, put down money for their coffees, and went over to Vanya. Rachel turned in time to see him hang up the payphone his sister was using. He just couldn't help being himself.

"What the hell?" Vanya demanded.

"We don't have time for this."

"That's my friend you just hung up on."

Rachel got up as she felt Vanya's anxiety rising. Five gripped his sibling's upper arms. Rachel reached them as he lowered his voice.

"Listen to me. Those people from the field are coming after us. They are never going to stop. Do you understand me? We need to stick together, find the others, figure out how to stop doomsday. Whoever this person is, they can't be more important than the end of the world. We need to go."

He released her. After a moment she hung up the phone, seemingly accepting some of his words. As they headed out, Rachel whispered to Vanya.

"Look, I get that Five is a lot to deal with right now. Very intense and not great with emotions. What he _should _have said is that…it isn't that this person can't be more important. It's just…if they are important to you, the best thing you can do is stay with us. Those people who are after you will kill your friend if they get in the way. I hope you understand that."

The smile that came to Vanya's face relieved her a bit. Rachel knew her words made her friend feel better.

"Thank you," she told her, sincerely.

As they reached the car, Five stopped Rachel from getting into the car.

"I need you to go back and check on things at Elliot's."

Rachel pouted at him.

"Babysitting, again?"

Five gave her a quick kiss on the lips before opening the car door.

"We're just checking in on Luther. You won't miss much."

"I didn't agree!"

Five closed the door and wave at her.

"I love you!"

"I love you, too, asshole."

Five had to take a second to explain to Vanya that it was okay to leave Rachel to walk back as where they were staying wasn't far. He was right, it was just a street over. The girl waved at Vanya and gave her feelings of assurance to get her to drive off. As Vanya started the car, Five mouth "Thank you" to Rachel. She began walking as the car moved off.

It took her about five minutes to get back up to the living area. She found Elliot with a disgusting looking jelly mold. It was lime green with mysterious chunks in it. He had decorated the top with mint leaves. He smiled when he noticed her.

"Would you like some?"

Rachel gave him a strained smile.

"You know, I'd rather wait until Five gets back so…maybe put that in the fridge. Where are Diego and Lila?"

Elliot flooded with discomfort. Rachel's jaw dropped slightly.

"They didn't…With a stab wound in his stomach?" she questioned.

The man shrugged at her.

"They're now sleeping after the…workout."

As Elliot shuffled into the kitchen, Rachel paced back toward the railing that looked over the shop. She let out a soft laugh.

"Well, must be something about Hargreeves men and injuries that result in…workouts. Ha ha! Oh, Diego…"

The girl ended up sleeping during the day, taking Lila's lack of consciousness as a chance to rest herself.

When she got up, it was dark outside. Checking the clock, she could see it was around five in the morning. Five wasn't back yet. Rachel pushed herself up and went out to the kitchen. Elliot was just stirring from sleeping on the couch. As she stepped into the room, Elliot almost fell off the couch.

"Five called. Here. He wanted you to have this address."

Rachel took the slip of paper he handed her.

"He say anything else?"

"No, he just said that is where he would be for a while."

Shrugging, the girl grabbed the keys to Diego and Lila's stolen car.

"I'll be back," she told Elliot.

Rachel checked the map she now kept in her pocket, easily memorized the route, and headed off. She ended up outside an apartment building made mostly of red brick on the corner of Harwood and Plano. She knew she was in the right place when she parked the car. She could see that, just over on Harwood, Five was leaning against the beige station wagon Vanya drove. Luther must live there as the building was called The Plano Street Rooming House for Solitary Men. She could also feel his depressed and sorry feeling self in a room on the second floor.

The sun had only just risen, so there were not many cars out on the street. Rachel made her way across the street to her partner.

"Now what am I supposed to think when you don't come home at night?" she teased, kissing him.

"I called. And you clearly got the message since you're here. Vanya's upstairs with Luther who got his ass handed to him in a match last night. He just let himself get pummeled."

"Hmm, I wonder what happened…"

Rachel jumped as bricks were suddenly smashed from the building and fell onto the street below. Five and Rachel peered up to see Luther's face peeking through the hole in the building. Five let out a laugh while Rachel just stared up in surprise.

"Maybe we should check on Vanya," Rachel suggested.

They started making their way across the street when to woman they were looking for came out of the building. She was aggravated, worried, and determined.

"Well, that clearly went well," Five said to her," You ready to go?"

"I'm going back to the farm," she told them, charging past to get to the station wagon.

Five raced to catch up while Rachel meandered behind them, knowing Five was about to fight a losing battle. Vanya's conviction was strong. With the added bonus of anger.

"Hey. Unacceptable, Vanya. Remember, we need to stick together."

"Oh, why, so I don't end the world again?"

Five scoffed and looked back up at Luther who was still looking out of the hole.

"Stupid…" he muttered more curses that neither girl could hear.

"Were you even gonna tell me?" Vanya demanded.

Five hesitated before revving up to his usual antagonism. Rachel crossed her arms as she stood in the middle of the street.

"You know what? In my defense, no. All right? And can you blame me? When you…you get angry, shit blows up."

Rachel picked the asphalt where she stood.

"To be fair, I would have told you…eventually…"

"Great," Vanya told them," Are there any other family secrets you failed to mention?"

"A boatload, Vanya, which I don't have the luxury of sharing them with the-"

Vanya got into the driver's seat, shutting him out. Five inhaled, trying to rally his patience and knocked on the window. Vanya kindly rolled it down after a moment.

"The clock is ticking on doomsday. Just tell me that when I need you, you'll be ready."

"I can't help you, Five. I'm sorry, Rachel. You seem really nice, but I don't even know who I am."

She started up the car, making Five lean farther into the car window.

"You're our sister. And a member of the Umbrella Academy. Like it or not, that's who you are."

"Look, that's who I was, okay? New timeline, new me."

"No, that's not how it work-"

Vanya drove off, leaving them in the street. Five sighed and looked back up at Luther. Rachel's gaze followed his as Luther threw up the middle finger at them with a bandaged hand.

"After seeing you all back together, I'm really glad I was an only child," the female noted, waving up at Luther.

"Wonder if it's too late to be un-adopted," Five muttered, putting his hands in his pockets.

The two headed back to the car, realizing their last twenty-four hours had been highly unproductive toward stopping the apocalypse.


	25. Chapter 24

A few hours later, Elliot and all his new roommates were in the living room. Five paced back and forth along the right side of the room while Rachel sat in a living room armchair across from the couch, angled toward the kitchen. On the couch was a shirtless Diego allowing Lila to change his bandage. Five and Rachel took time to explain to Diego how they found Vanya the amnesiac who then decided to ditch them.

"So, what, you just let her go?" Diego asked.

Five turned to Rachel who gave him a look. He had gotten quite a talking to from his partner on the drive back.

"Well, Vanya had a lot to process," he sighed," She'll come around. I know she will."

"What about the guys that went after her?"

"The Swedes?"

"Yeah, I mean, how do you know they won't go after her again?"

"We don't."

Elliot brought out cups of coffee for everyone as the conversation continued. He had already put out cookies on the table. Rachel narrowed her eyes at Lila. The woman had more anxiety than the day before as well as some stronger conviction toward something. There was the slightest wobble of uncertainty as Rachel reached out for more. She wondered if that all came from Lila and Diego starting a relationship. They were being disgustingly close, but after Five and Rachel's own public displays of affection in front of Diego since their return, it was some degree of karma. They were milking it in front of Rachel and Five by sharing a coffee mug, despite having one for each of them, and sitting so close one would think they were a two headed person.

"Mm, any idea who sent them?" Lila asked, sipping her hot coffee.

"Oh, I have my suspicions," Five replied, looking at her pointedly as he picked up his coffee mug, "But right now, our priority is finding Dad and getting answers, 'cause everything else depends on it."

Five sank into a chair across from the couch.

"Which, for the record, I found him already," Diego noted.

"And then let him go before we could have a meaningful conversation."

Diego stared at his brother.

"He stabbed me."

"I'm surprised he waited this long, Diego. We've all had the urge."

Lila and Rachel laughed while Elliot chuckled. Diego looked around at them all with a stricken expression.

"Good one," Lila said to Five, reaching out for a high five.

Rachel pursed her lips in amusement, drinking her coffee. Lila was trying to win Five over as far as she could tell. Five glanced at the woman, ignoring the high five, then turned his attention back to Diego, handing him a paper that Rachel had been shown in the car.

"Good thing I know where Dad's gonna be tonight."

Lila's face soured as she put her ignored hand down.

"Trying way too hard, hon," Rachel muttered to her.

Lila looked at her with a pout.

"Where'd you get this?" Diego asked, looking at the paper while his girlfriend munched a cookie from beside him, reading it as well.

"Found it at his office while he was busy stabbing you."

Diego let out a fake laugh. Lila hummed at the information as she read it.

"Hoyt Hillenkoetter and the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas cordially invite you to a gala," Diego read.

Rachel looked up at the shock that ran through Elliot as he hovered by the kitchen doorway.

"Whoa, wait," he interrupted," Hoyt Hillenkoetter? Are you serious?"

All eyes were on him now.

"You know him?"

Lila gasped suddenly.

"We should go. Says there's gonna be a seafood tower."

Rachel rolled her eyes at the lovey-dovey smile Diego gave Lila for her comment.

"No, Hillenkoetter is…is one of the Majestic Twelve."

"The hell is the Majestic Twelve?" Diego asked.

"He must mean the _Magnificent Seven._ You know, the Western movie?" Rachel contributed.

Elliot shook his head profusely.

"What? No. It's a…a secret committee. Uh, scientists, military, uh, deep state."

As Elliot rummaged around through his things on his messy table, all eyes moved with him. Five had to actively turn in his seat to see him.

"No one knows what they really do."

"Wait, so they're government?" Diego grunted, painfully sitting up on the couch.

"_Shadow _government. Yeah, Kennedy was the first president to try to push 'em into the light, but these guys are not to be trifled with. Oh…Oh, here we go. Ah, right here."

Elliot strode over and put a picture on the coffee table in front of Five. Rachel got up and looked over Elliot's arm at the photo. The picture was of a bunch of men sitting around a table, all outfitted in business suits with ties. Elliot pointed to the one farthest on the left.

"That's Hoyt right there."

Elliot and Rachel switched places as he crouched by the table next to Five and Rachel sat on the chair arm. Five took a close look at the photo. Diego and Lila looked at it upside down.

"I only count eleven," Lila noted.

"Well, that's because they've only identified eleven so far."

"Who's the twelfth?" Diego questioned.

Five and Rachel both looked up at Diego with a knowing look. The realization seemed to hit him.

"Dad," he breathed.

Lila hummed and looked up at Rachel. Reading the tension in the room, she decided to break it.

"I believe we'll be needing dresses. Diego, you can probably borrow something from Elliot. Five-"

"I'm good."

The joy that radiated from Lila made Rachel recoil. She looked to Five in alarm, but his face was breaking into a grin.

"That sounds like a good idea, huh, Rach? A nice shopping date with just you girls."

The two lovers stared at each other. Her lips twitched in annoyance.

"There will be payback for this," she hissed at him.

Lila hopped up and grabbed Rachel's arm.

"I saw a dress shop just down the street from the back alley. Come on."

The girl was only able to throw one horrified glance back at the Hargreeves boys, but they only smiled and waved with amusement. Five's amusement was a twisted one while Diego's was warm hearted from seeing the two women "get along."

Lila ushered Rachel down the back staircase and out into the back alleyway.

"You know, you could have picked anything, and I'd have worn it."

"But that's no fun! We're sisters-in-law now, we can bond through shopping."

The idea horrified Rachel so much her brain froze.

"Th-that's not…Tech-technically…M-marriage…Uh…"

The taller girl ignored her stammering and dragged her down the street to the dress store. Lila enjoyed looking through the racks, touching as many dresses as she could. Rachel examined the racks, but only touched those she considered. She looked around slightly lost. She hadn't even been dress shopping with anyone aside from her mother when she was a girl. She had spent most of her life digging clothes out of rubble or picking up whatever looked useful for travelling in weather extremes. Dresses were not a factor until she worked at the Commission and, even then, those were coordinated by someone else.

"Found it!" Lila sang, taking a turquoise satin dress off the racks and putting it in front of her, "Gorgeous right?"

"Mmhm," Rachel hummed, looking her over, "It's nice."

Lila tilted her head at Rachel before meandering over.

"Oh, this one would knock Five on the floor."

She was pointing to a black dress with sheer fabric over the form fitting design. Rachel shook her head.

"Aside from green, I wear a lot of dark colors. Less effective than you'd think."

"Ooh, so you're looking for a contrast, are you?"

Rachel couldn't help but blush. This whole situation was embarrassing. She had thought about dress choices more than she was conscious of. Lila elbowed Rachel, making the girl roll her eyes.

"Stop. Do you think pastel pink or white with a blue sash?"

"Both are beautiful, but I think…you'd look rather fetching in pink."

Rachel tugged a lace dress off the rack. It was a sleeveless dress, classy looking, that had a thin waistband. The skirt flared out to around Rachel's knees. Lila insisted that they try on their dresses. They found some shoes to go with the dresses and headed to the dressing room. The woman had quite the time of it, chatting away, while Rachel simply admired the new color on her. Luckily, the dress fit, and the shoes went well. When Rachel came out in her regular clothes, Lila snatched the dress and shoes from her.

"I'll meet you outside," she whispered, before disappearing around a rack of dresses.

Rachel frowned and moved around through the store. She tried to follow where Lila went, but the girl had been quite quick to disappear. She was confused as the girl's emotions moved quickly out of the store. Rachel headed out, apologizing to the clerk that nothing caught her eye. Rachel hustled across the street and went into an alley.

"Lila?" she called out.

"Here!"

The girl popped out from behind a stack of boxes by a dumpster. Rachel sighed at her.

"I know, but I don't think having these dresses by the trash is going to do us any favors at the gala."

"Right you are! Let's go!"

The two headed back to the store where Diego was already dressed in Elliot's clothes. The outfit was a bit mismatched color wise, but he still looked ready for a gala. The women separated to put on their outfits. Rachel was tying her hair into a side ponytail when Five came in to check on her. When he saw her, he quickly checked back into the hallway, and, seeing no one, shut the door.

"Did you pick that out yourself?" Five asked.

Rachel's cheeks went almost as pink as her dress.

"Yeah…I've never really picked out a dress by myself before. Lila agreed it would look nice. Is it too plain?"

Five took her hand and pulled her toward him, his other hand going around her waist.

"You're too beautiful for words. So, nothing new, but I love how shy you're being about this dress. Luckily, we will be the youngest looking people at the gala, so I won't have to put a snot-nosed kid in their place for looking at you, or worse, talking to you."

Rachel smiled up at him. The openness and ease with which he spoke to her now made her heart beat faster.

"I wish you'd dressed up a bit. I get the uniform is formal enough, but don't the shorts and the knee socks get a bit tiresome?"

Five shrugged. He took a step back, leading her into a spontaneous dance to no music.

"It doesn't matter how I look. Gives the illusion of boyish innocence, which is convenient. Are you trying to tell me you don't find my outfit attractive?"

Five twirled her before pulling Rachel back to him. She giggled softly, making him grin.

"Me? How could I not be in love with knee socks on a man? Honestly, I was rather fond of how dapper you looked in your suits at the Commission. But, no matter what you wear, you're handsome no matter what."

"Are you suggesting you like my face?"

"Eh, it's okay."

Smirks lit up both of their faces before Rachel laughed.

"Of course, I like your face. It's the face of the man I love. Though you should know, I'm a sucker for a nice sweater vest."

Five planned to response but Rachel reluctantly pulled away from him just as the door banged open to reveal Diego and Lila.

"Do you want us to be late?" Diego asked them.

Lila made kissy faces at them; both her arms wrapped around Diego's. Rachel gave her an unimpressed look. Five must have been doing the same to Diego as his upper lip crinkled.

"Yikes, what they say about couples starting to look like each other the longer they're together is true…"

Lila tugged on Diego's arm, pulling him toward the living room.

"We'll be in the car. Hurry up now!" she told them before dragging her boyfriend away.

Five moved toward the door.

"He could do so much better."

Rachel nodded her agreement. She stopped as Five halted in the doorway.

"I almost forgot something."

He turned around, his hands landing on her hips. She was tugged against him as he kissed her softly, repeatedly, leaving her flustered. When he pulled away, he gave her a quick last peck on the lips.

"Thanks for the dance. I doubt we'll be able to have one tonight, so I'm glad that dress got some use."

"Me, too."

Five went to follow the others in their group, but Rachel put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, caressing him slowly and carefully. She gently bit his bottom lip as she pulled away a minute later. She patted down her hair in an exaggerated fashion.

"Right, time to go."

She moved past him, but a smile broke out across her face as he groaned loudly.

"Your payback is the worst. You don't play fair."

Rachel reached back and took his hand, tugging him out to the car.

"I'll play fair when you do."


	26. Chapter 25

The four drove as close to the gala as they dared. Cutting through the trees around the location, they snuck out into the crowd of arriving guests, crouching behind the numerous cars to avoid the guards. Diego moved in the lead. Following him in order were Rachel, Lila, and then Five bringing up the rear.

"So, what's the plan?" Lila asked, as Diego glanced over the car.

"We infiltrate, we identify, we extract. Double time."

Rachel and Five nodded, agreeing to the plan. Lila glanced back at Five.

"What the hell's he talking about?"

"Find the old man and get out fast."

Diego glanced back, slightly confused.

"That's what I said. On me."

Diego moved, laying low to get to the next car. Rachel followed him. She glanced back, noticing that Lila and Five had not followed. She could sense Five's annoyance. Whatever he was saying to Lila bothered her before her usual amusement set in and they followed behind their two companions.

They slipped in a side entrance from a garden that was unmanned. Mariachi music hit them as they entered. Guests milled around the room while servers offered them champagne. Diego rushed in, Lila following. Five grabbed two glasses off the nearest server before turning back and handing one to Rachel, who just grinned and took it. They moved around a large circular table in the room before stopping together. Lila grabbed her own drink as another server passed by.

"I don't see dad anywhere," Diego noted.

Rachel was quiet, sorting through the swell of emotions all around her. The champagne felt heavy in her stomach. Five grabbed her arm.

"You okay?" he asked, softly.

"Yeah, fine. Just…a lot to process. The feelings are blurring together a bit. I sense a familiar presence upstairs, at least."

Five nodded to her before looking over at Diego.

"Just keep an eye out for the Majestic Twelve. I got the upstairs. Diego, try not to do anything too stupid."

Lila chuckled while Rachel smiled. Her partner gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading off. Turning to the other two, Rachel pointed.

"I'm going to look for some members off in the next room."

Rachel wandered that way, glancing around for people who seemed they could be part of a secret group. All she really found were those enjoying the gala by chatting, eating, or drinking. As she turned to into the next room, she found herself in the ballroom where couples were dancing. She spotted Diego and Lila dancing. Rachel leaned against the wall and sipped her champagne. She smirked as she saw Lila switch to the lead, triggering memories back to their young days at the academy. They had all learned to dance. It was always chaos due to there being only three girls to five boys….

-2001:-

"I d-don't _w-want_ to be-be the g-girl anymore!"

Diego shoved his dance partner, Klaus, away from him. Obviously, neither chose to be partners. Names were pulled out of a hat at the beginning of practice to decide who would partner with whom. It was random choice as the leader of the Umbrella Academy strongly believed that a well-rounded dancer could dance with anyone. Five and Vanya stopped their practice to avoid crashing into Diego.

Reginald Hargreeves constantly disapproving face frowned even deeper.

"Number Two! Get back in hold."

"He k-keeps s-stepping on m-my f-foot!"

"Oh, please, you just don't know how to be a classy lady," Klaus retorted.

There was a yelp from across the room as Rachel hit the floor. Luther and Allison swerved in their spinning to avoid stepping on her. Ben leaned down, reaching out to her.

"I'm so sorry! I don't know why this is so hard."

Reginald sighed audibly.

"Number Six, you have to lead the woman. A woman needs a strong partner to dance! Confidence! Look where you are going while you dance, not at your feet."

Ben looked at his father like a wounded puppy as he pulled Rachel to her feet. She patted his upper arm comfortingly.

"It's okay, Ben. You're getting better every practice."

Ben gave her a hopeful luck as Reginald struck the floor hard with the cane he always carried during their dance lessons.

"That's it. Practice is over. Competition time."

All the kids had to struggle to keep from showing any signs of protest. His competitions were all the same and happened after every practice. Once again, names were called out of a hat as well as a dance style. They had all learned four different routines in four different styles. The pair that performed their dance the best got to end their day while the rest got an hour of extra dance lessons. Just one of many ways Reginald sowed a massive sense of competition amongst his kids. The children all shuffled to the edge of the room and sat on the floor in a line. The three girls clustered together.

"I really hope I don't get Ben again," Allison whispered," I love him, but he can't dance."

Rachel grimaced at her, rubbing her sore side.

"No kidding…He's actually done surprisingly well as the female lead the last time he was with Klaus."

Vanya did her best to hide a laugh.

"Don't remind him. He was not thrilled when I pointed that out."

Reginald's cane rang out again. All children were now at attention. The man pulled out two pieces of paper.

"Klaus and Allison, show us your Paso Doble."

Allison and Klaus quickly hopped up and headed to the center of the room. The kids all heard Luther curse under his breath. Every one of them but Diego had to hide a smirk. The music started and the two took off. The paso doble was perfect for them. Allison always did so well with dancing and took on the intensity needed for this dance. Klaus was a bit loose with his interpretation, but it worked for them. They were clearly the team to beat.

"We should just give up hope now…" Ben mumbled from the far end of the room.

Five, who sat on the other side of Vanya snorted in amusement.

"Maybe you should. As long as I don't get you or Diego, I think I'll be fine."

"Now I really hope you get Luther…"

Allison, who just arrived back to sit down, gave Five a competitive smile.

"I think your confidence is unwarranted this time," she responded, trying to catch her breath.

Klaus followed behind her, sitting on Five's other side.

"Yeah, we have this in the bag. Just watch."

Reginald cleared his throat, getting the attention of the remaining children.

"Diego and Luther. Luther, you will take the female part. You have the Waltz."

A giggle ran through all the other kids. Luther sat frozen for a moment before slowly getting up. He had to grab Diego's shoulder to get him to move. The following display was wholly expected. Luther could not help but fight for the lead, their frame was loose, and they kept glaring at each other when they could, causing stepped on toes. The two were guaranteed to be doing an extra hour of training. Reginald just shook his head in visible disappointment as he pulled more paper.

"Five and Rachel. Argentine Tango."

Rachel's heart sank. It was her least favorite dance. So far, any practice for it she had with Ben and Diego ended badly. Both would get awkward about it. Ben would drop her on the sentada while Diego stumbled after any move where he had to look at her. And the end move, he always dropped her away so quickly from embarrassment. She had only gotten through the dance with Luther. Once. On the complete opposite side from Rachel's feelings was Five. He radiated confidence.

Stepping out onto the dance floor, Five pulled Rachel into the starting embrace. Rachel's eyes wandered over his shoulder. He shook her to attention.

"Hey, focus," he told her, harshly," I'd like to win for once. Allison's winning streak needs to end. When I'm not her partner, at least."

Rachel's eyes snapped to his.

"Sorry, I just don't want to be on the ground again."

"Have I dropped you before?"

"No…"

"Then just do the dance."

Five was always a strong leader, his personality lent itself well to dancing in that way. He was another of the Umbrella Academy males who struggled with following. Ben and Klaus were the only ones who did not care as much about leading versus following. Reginald was a misogynist in the sense that he never let the girls lead.

The music started and they were moving. Five held the frame easily, with Rachel holding on just enough to keep with him. Getting into the eight count was the easiest part of the entire dance, no stepped-on toes between the two. Rachel was rather good at avoiding stepping on people. When she was new to the heels, she made Klaus cry a bit by stepping on him. After that, she never stepped on anyone again. As they branched out from the eight count, Five would quietly whisper to her the next step.

"Planeo."

Since she could barely hear him over the music, she had to lip read a bit, which worked in their favor as it looked like eye contact.

"Pasada. Turn."

Then the tug of him pulling her up into sentada. Then her feet were on the ground again, back at the eight count.

"Voleo."

At that point, Rachel did not need him telling her the steps. She was comfortable as confident as he was. She was now able to meet Five's eyes instead of lip reading. They ended with her leg over his thigh, right and left arms respectively held high, noses touching. The music stopped. Rachel was taken by surprise at a new feeling radiating from Five. Pride. In her. The two broke into matching grins.

"Good job," he whispered so no one else could hear.

"It's thanks to you."

As they pulled away, they heard Klaus whistle before being hushed by Reginald. The pair separated back to their seats. Allison could be seen chewing her lip nervously while Diego's face was exceptionally sour. Rachel had to look away from the wave of jealousy that radiated off him. Vanya and Ben hopped up as Reginal announced them for the Foxtrot. Both gave Rachel high fives as they passed her. Ben did surprisingly well dancing with Vanya, but the romantic dance was rather awkward and stilted between the two. Rachel knew it was always weird for them, dancing with their siblings. She was lucky she did not have that problem.

"Next time," Rachel told Vanya as the two sat down.

Vanya smiled and shrugged. Reginald paced in front of the children, looking at each one in turn.

"Some of you need much more practice…Some of you were passable."

"Passable or…paso doble?" Klaus whispered, making half the group groan and the other half giggle.

Reginald's eyes narrowed at his son who looked away quickly with a hidden smile.

"The winners are Five and Rachel. Run along now."

The blonde's eyes widened in shock, looking between Vanya and Allison. Allison grimaced at her, trying to be a charitable loser but failing to hide her disappointment. Five exited in a familiar whoosh of energy, clearly pleased with the result. Rachel stood up and headed toward the courtyard where she would wait until Vanya and Allison were done.

-1963:-

Rachel came out of her reverie to see Lila leaving the dance floor alone. Turning, the girl could not see Diego anywhere. She managed to sense him by the center staircase after a moment. She had not expected to find him with such strong feelings of both surprise and disappointment.

As she headed toward his location, she noticed Grace walking away. In her confusion she stopped and stared. Diego met her off the side of the room as the girl looked up at him.

"Was that-?"

Diego's disturbed feelings hit her, causing Rachel to raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah…apparently dad modeled robot Grace off an old flame. Except this Grace has a Texan dialect."

Rachel's jaw dropped as she thought through that one.

"That is troubling on a number of emotional levels…She is an exact match…"

The two were silent thinking horrifying things when Diego inhaled and looked at Rachel.

"Did you see where Lila went?"

"Hm? Oh, she's in the room at the end."

As he ran off to find her, Rachel frowned. As she had gotten closer to the kitchen, she found a vague feeling of something out of the ordinary. Murderous intent. Rachel placed her empty champagne glass on a passing server's tray. She casually meandered toward the kitchens. Getting closer, she noticed the feelings getting distant. Two more hazily appeared, one from the area of the center staircase and another from the opposite end of the building. They were all upstairs now, two on one end, one on the other.

"What the hell?" she mumbled to herself, noting the building had to be made with multiple staircases.

Rachel began checking for the staircase on the far end of the building she was in, checking doors and random turns.

"God, I wish I had a map," she mused to herself, getting annoyed with the size of the building.

She felt a spike of panic from Five suddenly from an upstairs room. She picked up speed, brushing past people when the feeling relaxed. She slowed again. The panic then picked up again, this time with pain and a bit of fear mixed in. Right next to one with murderous intent.

"Well, shit."

Rachel turned into another hallway, brushing past people to try and find the staircase. She finally found it at the end of the next corridor. She felt Diego upstairs now, feeling quite like Five with two attackers on him. Rachel bound up the stairs. She sensed Lila there, moving toward Five as Rachel hit the landing. Two men in white blazers were on Diego, one choking him and the other punching him with brass knuckles. These must be the Swedes. Rachel pulled off her shoes and nailed the guy with brass knuckles on the back of the head with one of them. When he turned and came for her, she dodged a swing from him and kicked out at his knee, making him kneel to the ground. She flipped over him and bashed him over the head with her other shoe. He recovered quickly, grabbing her wrist and twisting it as he turned to face her. Rachel dropped the shoe from pain. When he was close enough, she rammed her head into his, causing him to back off and release her. She then kicked him to the end of the hall. Diego seemed to get control of the guy choking him by slamming him into the wall behind them. He then stood in front of Rachel as the man with brass knuckles stood up. He put an arm out to keep her back. He clearly wanted vengeance for the man treating him like a punching bag.

"Oh, yeah, mofo. It's just you and me. Show me what you got."

The man did not say anything, but the two were locked on to each other. As they lunged for each other, Rachel dodged them as they began fighting down the hallway, breaking windows and ceramic art. Grabbing her shoes and putting them on, the girl heard the other Swede on the floor groaning into consciousness. She gave him a swift kick to the temple to put him out again.

"I love thick heeled shoes," she breathed, tugging the hair tie out of her now messy hair.

Sighing, Rachel looked up to see Diego slamming his opponent to the ground. She belatedly realized she could have used her powers, but her instincts from The Commission kicked in quicker. She ran over to her friend and noticed him looking out the window.

"Dad," he told her.

Grabbing her hand, he tugged her down the stairs. The two of them slowed as they got in sight of the foyer, noticing guests and cops milling about. Rachel took the lead, pulling Diego around the side of the house where she sensed Five. Once they were outside, the two took off running and met the boy looking out at the cars as they drove away. Lila ran up to meet them at the same time.

"Was that him?" Diego asked Five.

"Yeah. You know, I'm starting to get the feeling Dad's avoiding us."

Lila sighed audibly, rubbing her neck.

"Hate to be the boring one, guys, but, uh, it's time we get the hell out of here."

She started walking, but no one followed. Rachel felt the anger boiling in both Five and Diego when she spoke, which made her wonder what happened. Thinking back, Rachel realized that Lila had been upstairs…yet Rachel was the one who helped Diego.

"When you say 'we,' who exactly are you referring to?" Five questioned.

"Not a lot of ambiguity in that sentence," she replied, acting confused.

But Rachel knew she was not confused. She was worried.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or where you came from, but whatever it is, I'd advise you to return posthaste."

Diego moved up to his brother as Lila began to get mad.

"She's right, Five. We gotta get outta here."

"I just saved your life, you kinder-shit. If I hadn't stepped in, all that would be left of you is a blazer and some bloody socks."

"And that's the problem. You're too good. You ask too many questions. You know too much. And you fight like you know what you're doing."

"He's got a point," Diego said, looking at Lila.

Rachel cross her arms from beside Diego. Lila was building up to annoyed anger.

"So I know how to handle myself, and that makes me the bad guy?"

"Whoever you are, you're in my way. If I see you again, I will kill you."

He meant every word. Rachel glanced at Diego. His emotions were a mess, but he didn't disagree with Five's verdict. Reaching back behind him, Five held his hand out to Rachel. She took it immediately. As they passed Lila, Rachel threw her a peace sign. It was the most she could do with her apathy toward the woman. All of Rachel's pity was for Diego, whose heart was breaking.


	27. Chapter 26

-2002:-

Homework was a necessary evil of the Umbrella Academy. The work was never the usual one would find in regular schools. The thirteen-year-olds were currently working on various subjects around the yard. At least most of them were. Vanya, Allison, and Rachel sat together working on their Greek homework against the courtyard wall. Luther hovered nearby with an Anatomy book cracked open, but some kind of magazine was peeking just over the edge of the book. Five sat in a corner away from the others, reading a book on Quantum Physics. He had taken the corner specifically as it was Rachel's favorite, which kept her from having it. She didn't mind since it was one of his more subtle ways of picking on her. Diego, Klaus, and Ben were missing.

"Latin is so much easier," Rachel complained, tempted to rip the worksheet Reginald Hargreeves had made into shreds, "When are we ever going to need to know Greek?"

Allison, who's attention had been on Luther prior to her words, turned to her friend.

"Did your father not teach you the Greek version of _The Odyssey_?"

Rachel looked between her and Vanya with concern.

"No…I can tell you for certain that isn't normal."

Vanya just shrugged and pointed at the last two words on their worksheet: μεράκι and φιλότιμο.

"Have you translated that one yet?"

Rachel leaned over and looked over the word.

"No. I only just got "φιλοξενία" as 'hospitality.'"

Vanya sighed.

"I guess I'll have to get the textbook from inside…"

Allison looked up at the two other girls.

"Why not just ask Five? He thinks he knows everything."

"That's because he actually might…"

The three girls all looked over at the male in the corner who was deeply focused on his text.

"Well, if anyone could bother him and get away with it its Vanya," Rachel grinned, leaning her hands back on the grass and stretching out her legs.

Vanya opened her eyes wide.

"That's not fair! I asked him the last two times. I'm tired of being told how stupid I am."

Allison put a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"You're not stupid, Vanya. You know he is just rude to get a reaction."

"I won't do it."

Rachel caught the two girls suddenly looking at her. She made a face at them.

"I'd rather take the 80 out of 100."

The two girls began to make sad faces at her. Rachel tried to look away, but she could not help but laugh.

"Oh my, you two are silly! He is _your _brother."

"Exactly! We have to live with him. You only deal with him for a few hours a day and can go home," Allison sassed.

Rachel could not argue with her there. Sighing, she stood, dusting off her skirt, picked up her paper and pencil, and went over to Five. He was taking up the entire bench, feet outstretched, but there was a small space just behind his back that she chose as a spot to sit.

"I'm not about to move," he informed her, eyes still on his book from what she could tell.

"I'm looking for help, not your seat."

"I'm not a therapist."

Despite that comment, he closed his book and turned so that his feet were now on the ground beside hers. Putting the book on his lap, he took the paper from her hand and placed it on the text.

"Figured it was the last two," he commented, "So, between the three of you, none of you could figure this out?"

Rachel bit her lip, getting an annoyed look from Five.

"None of you actually tried to solve it together, did you?"

The girl nudged his shoulder.

"Come on, Five, we all know you are the smartest in the Umbrella Academy. Can you just help me here?"

Five was unable to hold back a smile.

"You are lucky that I do accept compliments as payment. Both don't translate to English perfectly, that's why you're struggling. μεράκι is…what do you think?"

"I don't know…'steadiness'?"

"How do you mean?"

"Like…consistently doing something…?"

"Incorrect. It means something along the lines of enjoyment for what one does. Like, if someone is wholly dedicated to a job that they absolutely love. That is μεράκι."

Rachel leaned over Five a bit and wrote what he said on the paper.

"Why does your dad have to throw in trick words like these?"

"You want everything to be easy? That's boring. Okay, so what about the next one? Φιλότιμο."

"Friend…honor?"

Five laughed. It was not one of his mean laughs, just pure amusement.

"That is the literal break down of it, but I'm asking the meaning. Here, you do well in history. What do knights hold to?"

"A code."

"Of?"

"Uh…virtue? Righteousness? Oh, the honor! So, it's like being honor bound?"

"There you go. It's also in the context of doing something right for the sake of another, not so much about yourself."

Rachel leaned toward Five again, writing the answer on the paper that still sat on his lap. She then took the paper back.

"Thanks! I should study with you more often. I don't know why the others complain so much."

Five smirked at her.

"I charge by the hour."

Rachel thought for a moment before shrugging.

"I can afford a compliment an hour. Maybe two."

Five's jaw dropped slightly to retort, but the words stuck in his throat, and he just chuckled.

"Touché, Truesdale. Touché."

The girl laughed as she turned and ran back to her companions. She was just putting her paper down so the girls could read it when Diego, Klaus, and Ben traipsed out of the Academy. Ben held a boombox of all things. The three stopped in the center of the courtyard, just in front of the girls. Ben placed the boombox on the ground. Diego pointed at Rachel.

"You love the Backstreet Boys, right, Rachel?"

The girl awkwardly looked around the courtyard. Luther was confused, staring at the three of them who were now in a formation with Diego in the middle, slightly in front of the other two. Five stood up, his arms crossed, a huge grin on his face. Allison was trying to hide laughter behind her hand while Vanya's eyebrows were disappearing into her bangs. What bothered Rachel the most was the affection and confidence radiating from Diego.

"Uh…yeah…you all know that," she answered, confused.

The Backstreet Boys "Shape of My Heart" kicked on as Ben hit play. Rachel froze, embarrassment rising.

"Oh, no…please don't…" she whispered.

The five in the courtyard were then dazzled by a choreographed dance to the song. Diego, clearly the choreographer, knew what he was doing. Klaus and Ben were another thing entirely. Ben halfheartedly, but somewhat accurately did his part. Klaus, clearly not having taken time to learn the dance, just had some fun by dancing some semblance of what Diego asked from him. It all ended with the three kneeling before Rachel as the song faded out.

The courtyard was silent in the wake of the performance. Rachel looked at the three of them, her jaw slack. Suddenly, Luther began to laugh so loudly it rang through the courtyard. He was soon wheezing from laughing so hard that he could not breathe. Diego was sending him death glares. Allison and Vanya were giggling behind their hands. Five was grinning from ear to ear when he arrived by Rachel's side.

"I believe he expects some sort of response."

Rachel blinked rapidly, embarrassment surging through her at Diego's hopefulness.

"Th-That…ehem."

The girl cleared her throat and tried again. She steeled herself before putting on a convincing smile.

"That was so sweet, Diego, Ben, Klaus. How did you know that I was having such a bad day? That really cheered me up! Thank you so much."

Rachel heard a choked laugh from beside her. Glancing over, she saw Five had turned to look at the wall, his back shaking from contained laughter. Diego looked at her in mild confusion. He then stood up quickly, scratching his neck.

"Y-Yeah! O-Of c-course. Gl-Glad you l-lik-liked i-it."

Rachel leaned down, snatched her homework off the ground, and stood upright once again. She gave Diego, Klaus, and Ben quick hugs.

"You guys are amazing. I have to get home now, though. See you tomorrow!"

The Hargreeves siblings were impressed with how quickly she disappeared inside the Academy. Five, having recovered from his short-lived laughing fit, smirked at his brother.

"Mind if I go get a camera and then you can do that entire routine over again? I think she may get what you were trying to say if you let her watch it again a couple dozen times on video."

Luther came over and shook his head.

"No, that was a flat-out rejection."

"You don't say," Five muttered, rolling his eyes and walking away.

Allison stood up and gave Number One a light punch on the shoulder.

"_Luther_," she hissed, glaring at him.

Vanya stood up awkwardly and put a hand on Diego's shoulder.

"Maybe it was the song choice?"

Diego nodded at her, his mind racing.

"Yeah…yeah, I'll find a better song next time…"

-1963:-

The car was silent as Diego drove back to Elliot's place. Rachel could feel a lot of negative emotions swirling around in him, but he refused to speak or make any kind of eye contact with her nor Five. Getting upstairs of Morty's, the three found Elliot and Luther passed out beside a large canister, huge smiles on their faces. Five just shook his head.

"Let's leave them there."

Rachel began pulling off her shoes as she walked toward the second bedroom. She had just made it to the middle of the kitchen when a voice sounded behind her.

"We need to talk."

She glanced back to see Diego. Five frowned up at his brother from behind. Rachel tilted her head at the taller male.

"You and I?"

"Yeah, us. Your powers allow you to sense emotions, right? Then how come you didn't tell me that Lila was stringing me along?"

Rachel stared at him in surprise, taken aback for a moment by the rage he was feeling. Apparently toward her.

"That's-"

"Or how about how she was spying on us?"

"Emotions aren't-"

"How are we supposed to know whether you actually give a shit about us or are actually in league with Lila or whoever she is with?!"

Rachel caught him off guard by shoving him unceremoniously into Elliot's bedroom. Five rushed into the room after the two just before she closed the door.

"Diego, I get that you are hurting but I have _always _been your friend."

Diego began tugging off his tie and chucked it at the wall.

"Oh, have you? Or were you some sort of planted agent from the very beginning?"

Five scoffed.

"Your conspiracy ideas are getting way out of hand now," he told his brother.

Rachel held out a hand to Five.

"No, its fine. Go ahead, Diego. Tell me everything. Tell me what you think about me. I'd love to hear it."

Diego gave a fake laugh.

"Alright. I think dad planted you as a spy among us kids. You tricked us into thinking you were this sweet and innocent girl. Really, you just like to play master puppeteer with people's emotions. You feel everything people around you feel and yet you use it against them. You knew I liked you and you purposefully twisted me around back then. Then, you let your accomplice do the same thing. You knew Lila would hurt me and you just let it happen because you don't give a shit about any of us. I think you accidentally ended up with Five in the apocalypse and you used him the same way. You made him think you love him, but I bet you don't care about anyone. So what do you want us for? A science experiment? To join a cult? Hm?"

Rachel nodded at him.

"Wow, Diego. You have always had quite the imagination on you, you but have outdone yourself. I've listened to your view. Now listen to mine. I was a five-year-old child when my _father_ decided to use me as a science experiment on your father's request. I grew up with all of you, genuinely loving and caring for all of you. Even Luther and Klaus who sometimes made it _very_ hard. And fine, you want to bring up your old feelings for me? Yeah, I knew you liked me. You couldn't hide it. But I pretended not to notice because I _never_ wanted to break your heart and tell you that it was never going to happen. I didn't want to ruin the friendship we had because it meant so much to me. But then Five and I left. And you know what? I was asked to not use my powers for years. I had to mentally process my emotions, not be influenced by any around me, and face what the hell was in front of me. And you know what in front of me? It was Five. I fell in love with him. Truly, honestly, and with zero influence between the two of us from my power. Getting back here, finding out that I can use my powers to do more than just see where people are was liberating as much as it was terrifying. I don't yet know what I'm actually capable of. We then have Lila enter the picture. I couldn't stand her. I was told she came from a mental institute, so I figured this swirling mass of emotions from her were from being batshit crazy! Constantly thrilled by everything around her, confused at some of the things we said and did, worried about I don't know what. And you know why I don't know? I am not a mind reader, Diego! The only thing I know for sure is that she gave a damn about you because she actually liked you so I thought she was worried about your relationship. So, screw you for thinking I would sit around watching some crazy bitch fool around with someone I consider family and not do anything. I was so relieved to see you happy after all this time and released from the pain I sensed from you when Five and I came back. I was _never_ Lila's biggest fan, but I ignored my opinions about her because I wanted to support_ you_."

Rachel was breathing heavy by the end of her speech, tears rolling down her cheeks. Diego and Five stood frozen watching her. She shut down the hurt she was feeling that was unintentionally seeping out to them. She brushed at her tears aggressively.

"You're angry. You want to blame someone. I'm an easy target, I get it. I can forgive you for that. Thinking that I lied to each and every one of the people I care about, making a claim that I don't have real feelings for the Hargreeves family and the man I love…That is how you successfully end a friendship. Now I know you lied when you said you consider me a sister."

The blonde turned to leave the room before she stopped and glanced back.

"Why did I bother saving you earlier this evening, again? Hmm…must have been because _I don't give a shit_."

The two males watched her leave in a blur of pink lace and anger. Five looked over at Diego as the man sat on the bed.

"I knew you were stupid, but that…" Five started, putting his hands in his pockets," That was an entirely new level of stupid I never knew about."

Diego put his head in his hands and sighed.

"How can you just trust her?"

Five sighed heavily and sat next to his brother.

"Trust, huh? Back when I asked her to not use her powers…she did as I asked. She never once used them until we joined the Commission. Even then, she only did it when she needed to on a job. It isn't just that though. When you are the only two people alive on a planet…you have nothing if you don't trust them. And Rachel…she is blind trust incarnate. She trusted I'd get her home, no question about it, just because I swore I would. I know trust isn't easy for us, Diego. Dad has secrets within secrets. People just break your trust sometimes, but I at least know I don't have to worry about that with Rachel. You should know you don't have to worry about that with her, either."

His brother was quiet for a moment before looking up at him.

"How do you…know she loves you?"

Five let out a soft laugh.

"Never thought I'd be the one giving you love advice. Years and years ago, when she first told me she loved me…I didn't believe it. Only because I didn't want to. I didn't deserve it. She gave it anyway, though, with no regard to my feelings on the matter. Honestly, until a couple days ago, I had no proof aside from forty plus years of taking her words and actions as proof. I'm in the unique position of being with a woman who can actually share her love with me. Admittedly…it can be overwhelming…intense… indescribable. I mean all that positively."

Diego's lip curled and he looked away from his brother.

"And for those of us who aren't with someone like that?"

Five shrugged.

"It goes back to trust. Like she said, she only found out she could share feelings with people a week ago."

"So…How do you know you love her?"

They met each other's eyes. Five thinking what to say and Diego trying to figure out his own feelings.

"You know…like most of our siblings. I was convinced you and Rachel were going to end up together. It was also pretty obvious that Ben quietly had a crush on her."

Diego's eyebrows shot up. He clearly hadn't noticed his brother's subtle crush.

"Ben did?"

Five nodded.

"He did. Anyway, my point is I knew she caught the attention of some of my siblings. Which is why I actively tried not to like her. When we got stuck in the apocalypse, I knew I was in trouble in that regard. So…I relocated my feelings."

Diego's face registered recognition.

"Dolores was a way to redirect the fact that you were developing feelings for Rachel from before you got stuck."

Five's lips pursed at the memory.

"And things developed the way they did from there. I felt I had no right to have feelings for her but…she's impossible to ignore. She became a force of nature. There was this night in the middle of winter where I fell into a pond because it was covered in fresh snow. When I got back, she stripped me down, put me in front of a fire, wrapped me in blankets, and dried my hair. I knew then and there it was love but…I couldn't admit it, couldn't let it happen. Two years later, she told me she had feelings for me and a year after that she told me she loved me. Back when we were kids, I never would have realized she could be so forward or aggressive. She stopped taking no as an answer…eventually stopped letting me trick my way out of facing my feelings."

Diego looked at Five. His brother looked faraway, lost in thought.

"You were the right person for her in the end," Diego said, "And her for you. I think I would have pushed her away at some point, like I do to every woman in my life. We can never know about Ben but…that pairing doesn't seem right, either. You and her…you have something special. You make each other better. You're lucky."

Five gave his brother a small smile.

"_I _know that. And you'll find the answers one day. Though, if you could get down on your knees and grovel before Rachel in the morning…I recommend you do. I'm fairly confident she could inflict the feeling of physical pain on a person with how hard she hit us with her feelings tonight. I'd rather not accidentally be involved in that, thank you."

Five got up and headed out of the room. Just as he was exiting, he heard the bed creak behind him. Diego had stood up.

"I'm sorry. For questioning her feelings like that. I was angry…and didn't know…"

The boy turned to his brother and shook his head.

"Good. Just like that. But to Rachel while getting to know the floor intimately."

He left his brother in Elliot's room and went to the second bedroom. He found the room in darkness. The faint light from the hallway lit up a chair where a lacy pink dress had been abandoned and long blonde hair peeking out of bed covers. Closing the door, Five undressed before crawling into the bed. He slid up against the back of the warm body under the sheets. His arm wrapped around hers and their fingers intertwined.

"You'll feel better in the morning," Five murmured in her ear.

Rachel turned a bit and looked over at him. He kissed her slowly, softly. She examined his face.

"I know he feels bad. What were you two talking about?"

"Mmm…trust, love, relationships. The guy's pretty dumb."

Turning all the way around to face him, Rachel snuggled up to Five.

"Will you tell me what you said?"

Five looked down, only able to see the outline of her face in the darkness. He kissed her again.

"Every word."


	28. Chapter 27

The next morning, Rachel did her best to avoid Diego. She asked Five to spatial jump her between the bathroom and the second bedroom to delay an encounter with his brother. Upon returning her to the bedroom after she showered and dressed, Five put his hands on her shoulders as she brushed her hair.

"Rach, I love you, but I'm not going keep helping you play this weird game of hide and seek with Diego. We have bigger things to deal with than my brother's irrational outburst."

Rachel looked at him through the mirror with puppy dog eyes. He gave her one of his fake smiles.

"It's cute that you think that expression would have the same effect now as it did when we last looked like this."

The girl sighed.

"I know…it's just…he's been kneeling outside the door there for the past two hours. I kind of wondered how long he would keep it up."

Five's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Seriously?"

A muffled voice reached them from outside.

"If you knew that, why would you just leave me here?"

Five walked over to the door and pulled it open. Before them was Diego, getting up from his position of kissing the floor. Rachel put her hair brush down and stood up.

"Punishment?" the girl suggested, awkwardly.

"You know what? After what I said, I'll take that. Look, Rach, I'm so sorry. I was in a bad headspace last night. After talking to…Five," it looked like admitting that part physically hurt him," and getting some sleep…I realized I was overly emotional, out of line, and I had no right to turn all of that on you. You can tell I mean all of that and love you, right?"

The boy looked between his brother and partner, wondering if they could hurry up with their resolution. Luckily for him, they did. Rachel ran over and hugged Diego.

"Don't you ever yell at me like that again," she told him, after pulling away.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now do I smell coffee and eggs?"

Five plowed between the two on his way to the kitchen. Rachel couldn't help but laugh while Diego gave him an annoyed glance.

"He won't admit it, but coffee is his first love. Elliott's making eggs? Doesn't he usually just eat cereal for most meals?"

"Oh, its Luther making eggs for an army. I'm not sure whether or not it's even to share."

Rachel nodded in understanding before the two made their way to the kitchen. Five already had his yellow mug of coffee. He had been kind enough to get one for Rachel, too. He handed her the mug before going to lean on the doorframe of the kitchen. Diego started looking through the refrigerator. She could see Elliott milling around in the living room.

"Morning, Luther," Rachel said to the man at the stove.

Her eyes widened at the overflowing amount of eggs in the pan. If it was for him alone, Luther had developed quite the appetite in the year he was here. He turned and smiled at her.

"Hi, Rachel. Good to see you again. So, Elliott mentioned you all went to a gala last night to talk to dad?'

Rachel leaned against the edge of the kitchen counter.

"Yeah. It was quite nice until the end."

Luther looked over at her in surprise.

"What happened at the end?"

"Friends of Diego's ruined the party," she smirked around her coffee mug.

Diego spoke up then, leaving the fridge to pace the kitchen in his frustration.

"No, no, no, I don't understand. They keep following me."

"Wait, who?" Luther asked.

"Those Dutch sociopaths."

"They're Swedish, you idiot," Five pointed out," Hired guns paid to eradicate us before we do any more damage to this timeline."

Diego turned to his brother, glancing at Rachel every so often.

"Yeah, but why now? I mean, I'm…fine for three months until you showed up."

"Yeah," Luther spoke up," I was here for a year and no one messed with me."

Rachel shrugged. From a previous timeline where she died, it sounded like the assassins had not actually been after her if she got killed by her own self. The three all looked over at Five.

"Even if it _was_ my fault, which it isn't, we only have six days before the end of the world, and the closest anyone's gotten to Dad was that driveway at the consulate."

There was a lull in the conversation before Luther looked back at his eggs.

"Well…" he sighed, "That's not exactly true."

The three in the kitchen all looked at him with suspicion.

"What do you mean?" Five asked.

All three moved closer to hear his story.

"I saw him."

Luther then told them how he saved up money after being unable to find any of the others. He got on a Greyhound bus all the way back to New York. There, he made it back to the Academy and saw Reginald Hargreeves at a party. When Luther crashed it, he got a tongue lashing from their dad about how time travel is impossible, that he hates children too much to adopt, and if he did he wouldn't let them look as ragged and simian-like as Luther appeared to him. He then kicked him out.

During the story, Luther finished the eggs, which he put in a massive bowl for himself while he, Diego, and Five took a seat at the kitchen table. Rachel was seated on Five's lap due to the lack of enough chairs in Elliott's kitchen.

"That's pathetic," Diego responded to the story.

"Yeah, well, at least he didn't shank my ass."

"No, bro, she shanked your heart."

There was a moment of silence while they all accepted that as a true statement.

"Since he knows about Luther, maybe he's been avoiding the rest of us trying to talk to him," Rachel noted.

Elliott wandered in at that moment, hovering in the doorframe.

"Is that my bathrobe?" he asked Luther.

Rachel failed to hide a smile as Luther looked over at the man, mouth full of eggs.

"No."

Elliott just nodded, not bothering to fight over it. Five rolled his eyes.

"Look, who cares what he shanked? He knows something about time travel."

"Um…" Elliott's voice broke in, "Wait, why don't you just do your thing and, uh, time travel us out?"

Five sighed in exasperation. Rachel hopped up as her partner tapped her. He headed back toward the coffee maker while she took his seat.

"Anyone care to explain?"

Luther picked it up first.

"First time he tried, he got lost in the apocalypse."

"Second time, he ended up without hair on his balls and shrunk his girlfriend's breasts," Diego continued.

Rachel gave him a nasty look, making him give her an apologetic look.

"Last time I tried," Five picked up," I scattered my family across three years in Dallas, Texas, possibly triggering a doomsday. Any more questions, Elliott?"

Elliott, hands on his hips, shook his head.

"Uh, no."

Diego shook his head and looked at his large brother.

"Guys, you're missing the big picture here," Diego spoke up," Dad is the ringleader of a sinister cabal that's planning to kill the president."

"A cabal?" Luther asked surprised, mouth full of eggs.

Rachel cringed at both Luther and Diego.

"Oh, that conspiracy idea is still in your head…"

"Ignore him," Five interrupted, "Look, the way I see it, we have only one option."

"Oh, yeah? And what's that?" Luther questioned.

Five sighed.

"It's time to get the Umbrella Academy back together."

Diego and Rachel grinned at each other.

"Hell, yeah," Diego said, "Family meeting."

Luther continued stuffing his mouth with eggs.

"Okay then, can one of you three get Allison, please?"

Rachel put a hand to her neck.

"Is she able to talk now?"

"Yeah, she healed up."

"You two still a thing?" Diego asked, trying to be casual about it.

Luther made an uncomfortable twitch of his head. Diego leaned in toward his brother.

"Do we need to talk?"

"No, she's married."

"Whoa. Dude, that's rough."

Luther gave his brother an egg-filled smile, chuckling. Rachel shuddered and got up, moving toward her partner.

"I can handle it."

"I'll get her," Five announced, putting down his coffee cup," Can you get Vanya without, uh, squeezing her to death?"

Luther glared at his brother.

"I'll try."

Five reached out to Rachel and they were gone from the kitchen. They appeared again outside the car.

"So," Rachel noted, "You know Allison's address?"

Five opened the passenger door, urging Rachel inside. After shutting the door, he put his hands in his pockets and started heading to the driver's side door. Once inside, he started the car and they headed out.

"Elliott found it on the floor by where Luther slept last night, and I took it before he could return it."

Rachel just shook her head. Typical Five.

They reached the house in a very short amount of time. Getting out of the car, Rachel began examining the house before her. It was a cute house, relatively small, on a quiet corner. It had both brick and white siding. A white wooden stair led up to the front door. She could sense Allison inside, enjoying herself quite thoroughly. A smile broke across Rachel's face, the feelings inside were two hazy feeling drunks. Aside from Allison, Klaus was inside as well.

Five marched up the steps quickly, Rachel following behind him at a moderated distance. As he raised a hand to knock, he paused with a frown. Leaning closer, the two of them heard loud laughter from inside. Five turned to look at Rachel, then noticed the smile on her lips. He opened his mouth to speak but, after the sound of a few things crashing inside, Allison opened the door. She stared at the two of them in shock. It was now pushing noon, but she was still in a nightdress and house robe.

"Oh my- Rachel?! Five?!"

Five hadn't been prepared for the hug Allison threw at him. Rachel let out a soft laugh as her partner patted his sister's back in the awkward hug, willing her to let him go. His eyes widened as the smell of alcohol. Clearly, Allison had been day drinking for quite the time if he could smell it. Rachel then ran up and gave her a hug.

"Hi, Allison. It's great to see you."

Allison pulled back and waved a hand.

"Come in, both of you."

Five and Rachel stepped into the home. It was beautifully decorated. To the left of the hallway was a living room that attached to a dining room. Past that in the back was a kitchen. They also had an upstairs. Rachel's gawking stopped as Klaus came giggling around the corner.

"It's Five and Rachel!" he practically sang.

Five made a sound in his throat between annoyance and contentment, sending a look at Rachel. She nudged his shoulder good naturedly.

"Well, at least we won't need to make another trip…" he conceded to her small prank by omission.

The girl got another hug that she returned easily as Klaus ran up and spun her around. Klaus smelled even more strongly of alcohol. She suspected he had started day drinking before Allison.

"So…what are you two doing here?"

Five gave one of his signature smiles to his family.

"We need to have a family meeting. There is a lot to discuss. Luther and Diego are already where we're meeting. Vanya will be there as well."

Allison's smiling face faltered a bit.

"Vanya? She's…she's okay to see us?"

Rachel gave a small smile.

"Yes. Far more than you would think…since she has amnesia."

"Wait, amnesia?"

"Yeah, she got hit by a car when she got here. You'll see. But the sooner we get going, the better."

Allison excused herself to change, running upstairs. Klaus did the same, exiting after his sister. Rachel meandered around the small home in the interim, looking at pictures of Allison and her husband. Walking into the kitchen, she smiled at a picture of Allison on her wedding day. She could not help but wonder how things would pan out for Allison and her husband. The goal was to leave and go back to 2019. But some of the Hargreeves had full lives here... Rachel shook her head. She had been staring at the picture longer that she had realized. Turning, she spotted Five watching her from the doorway to the kitchen.

"You okay?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Oh, yeah. Your…Your sister makes a beautiful bride."

Rachel pointed to the picture she was looking at. Five went over and examined it himself. He looked back at his partner.

"You're worried about her and her husband if we figure this doomsday out."

The girl could not help but laugh.

"I've clearly been with you too long if you can just tell me what I'm thinking."

Five moved over to her and placed a hand on the side of her face. He kissed her forehead.

"I really need you to stop worrying about everyone else all the time."

"Then I wouldn't really be me, would I?"

Five smiled.

"True."

Rachel caught a whiff of alcohol, causing her to turn to the kitchen counter. There was a messy blender and alcohol bottles opened beside it.

"Oh, morning margaritas. That'll do it…"

The two heard loud stomping down the stairs, signaling that Klaus was ready. He appeared in a black shirt, black pants, and sunglasses. Allison followed not too far behind him in a plaid dress and light purple jacket. The two stopped in the living room and began complimenting each other and laughing. Five gave Rachel a look that showed he clearly did not want to deal with this. The blonde smiled and moved toward the two drunks.

"Alright, off we go. We have a car out front. Let's go."

She began herding them out. Rachel had to remind Allison to lock her door once everyone had exited the house. Allison and Klaus hopped easily into the backseat, chatting all the way about the goofiest things. Rachel would toss in questions about what they were saying occasionally, just to be involved. Happy drunks were the easiest drunks for her to be around. Unfortunately, Five had never been a happy drunk, just a surly one. When they got back to Morty's, the two were calmer, but still easily amused.

"Is anyone here? Hello?" Allison called out as they stepped inside.

Klaus came in rambling some French. Rachel smiled over at Five who had a sour look on his face. She was thrilled that everyone was together again, even if it was chaos every time. Her and Five stopped by the center display of Morty's first floor.

"Oh wow. Look at this old stuff," Klaus noted.

They all then looked up. Standing at the railing above was Vanya, Luther, Diego, and Elliott.

"Oh, wow," Klaus got more excited," I know this is impossible, but…did we all get sexier?"

Allison stared up at her sister.

"Vanya," she said quietly.

The girl above broke into a smile.

"I can't believe I have a sister."

The sentence shocked Allison, her jaw hanging open. The others came down from above to greet each other. Allison returned Vanya's smile.

"I missed you."

"Thank God someone did."

There was an awkward pause before the two hugged tightly. On the other side of the display, Diego grabbed the side of Klaus's neck, both greeting and shaking his brother.

"Oh, you are drunk."

"Yeah. No, just a little…just a few…"

Diego raised an eyebrow at Rachel who nodded quickly.

"A couple blenders full and then some," she whispered.

Klaus seemed to notice the hugging sisters when he turned.

"Oh, that's so sweet," he announced, moving into the hug.

After allowing them a moment, Five looked toward his inebriated brother.

"Klaus. Is Ben here?"

"Oh, uh…no."

The three hugging separated as Klaus sighed.

"No, unfortunately, ghosts can't time travel."

Five turned and began heading back upstairs.

"All right, then. Let's get down to business."

Rachel and Luther were the first to follow, the others heading up at their own leisure. Elliott began rushing around getting sweet teas. Rachel noticed a suspicious looking bowl of mystery jello that she did not want to interact with. She simply sat on the couch, with Vanya following suit shortly after. Allison perched on the couch arm, opposite end from Vanya. Klaus wandered around investigating Elliott's living space. Luther took a seat in the chair farthest from Allison, which was diagonally across the room from her by Elliott's worktable. Diego and Five stood.

"All right. First off, I wanna say I'm sorry. I know I really screwed the pooch on this whole going-back-in-time-and-getting-stuck thing. But the real kick in the pants here is we brought the end of the world back here with us."

Klaus turned around from his browsing.

"Oh, my God, again? All of you knew? Why am I always the last one to find out about the end of the- Oh, my God. My cult is gonna be so pissed. Five! I told them we had until 2019."

"We have until Monday," Five informed him," We have six days."

Rachel looked at Allison.

"Did he say cult?"

Allison just put her hands up signaling she did not want to explain that one.

"Is it Vanya?" Klaus asked.

"Klaus," Allison scolded.

"What? It's usually Vanya."

The poor girl just turned away from the accusation to look at her time-travelling brother.

"Do you have any leads, Five?"

Diego handed Five a folder as he answered. Rachel knew it as the picture they had developed of Reginald Hargreeves during Kennedy's assassination.

"Yeah, we have one."

Allison was the first one to see the picture. Klaus moved around behind the couch to look over his sister's shoulder.

"Holy shit, is that Dad?"

"Yeah," Diego responded, holding back the anger in him that Rachel could feel.

She got up and moved over between Diego and Five. She put a hand on Diego's back. He gave her a half-hearted smile at her concern. The girl felt the stirrings of murderous intent within the anger which she hoped would phase out of him.

"That's him?" Vanya asked, having slid over to Allison to see the picture.

"And he's standing on the grassy knoll," Diego informed them.

"Diego, Rachel, and I have been trying to talk to Dad about what exactly this means. So far, we've got nothing."

"Not nothing," Diego interrupted," We know he's planning to kill Kennedy."

"Maybe. But we don't know who or what sets doomsday in motion. Could be Kennedy, could be something entirely independent. But if we know something changes the timeline, we have to make it right again."

"Yeah, but how are we supposed to fix it if we don't know what's broken?" Allison questioned.

Diego fielded her question.

"Oh, come on. Do the math. We know Dad's having shady-ass meetings with some shady-ass people. We know he's on the grassy knoll in three days to kill the president. So, I think we all know what we have to do."

He moved out from behind the chair. Both Five and Diego then spoke at the same time.

"Find Dad."

"Kill Dad."

Everyone's eyes turned to Diego, who had taken the conversation to a morbid place. Rachel put her hands on her hips in a degree of exasperation. Diego lacked a desire for his plan, but he did seem to feel it was the option to take. After a moment Allison scoffed and drank from the alcohol bottle Klaus had taken out of Elliott's kitchen.

"None of us are supposed to be here, right?" Vanya spoke up, "I mean, what if it's us? Has anyone here done anything to screw up the timeline?"

Rachel read guilt from every person in the room. There was an awkward silence once again in the room. Klaus shook his head, making a face while Allison poured alcohol into her empty sweet tea glass. Luther took a breath and the accusations began.

"Diego's been stalking Lee Harvey Oswald."

"And you're working for Jack Ruby," Diego accused.

"Allison has been very involved in local politics," Klaus added.

"Okay, _you_ started a cult," Allison rebutted, making Klaus hiss at her like a cat and make claw gestures with his hand.

Vanya shook her head.

"I'm…I'm just a…a nanny on a farm," she stumbled out," I don't have anything to do with all of that."

"Well, maybe you do, we just don't know it yet," Allison suggested.

Rachel looked at her hand casually.

"You certainly seem to have a feeling of something you may have done…"

Vanya threw her a look, possibly the nastiest look the girl had ever given to anyone in her entire life. Diego whistled sharply.

"Listen to yourselves. Everything in our new lives is connected to Kennedy. That can't be a coincidence. Luther works for Ruby, Allison is protesting the government, Dad is on the grassy knoll, Klaus is…"

He hesitated at that one.

"…doing something weird and pervy but probably related. See, clearly, we were all sent back here for one special reason: saving John Fitzgerald Kennedy."

Rachel shook her head. That line of thinking was giving Five a lot of credit that was undeserved. As the arguing among the siblings picked up, Rachel could feel anxiety and sadness picking up in Five. She moved over to him.

"Five?"

He was zoned out, thinking deeply. She put a hand on his arm and shook him gently.

"Five."

"Guys, you all die."

The arguing around them halted.

"I was there. I saw it. And I wanna forget it, but I can't. I saw Russian nukes vaporize the world with all of you in it…"

Five turned to look at Rachel.

"Almost…all of you in it…in a war that never happened until we brought it here. And Hazel gave his life to save us, so you may need to shut up and just listen to me. I don't know if the things we've experienced here are all connected. I don't know if there's a reason for everything. But Dad will. We need to talk to him before everyone and everything we know is dead."

Luther suddenly ejected himself from his chair with a sigh.

"Okay, I'm out."

"Did you even hear me, Luther?" Five asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. I heard a fifty-eight-year-old man who still wants his daddy to come and fix everything. Well, you can count me out. It's time we all grew the hell up."

He walked off to protests from his siblings. Diego ran after him. Five took a deep breath before turning to Rachel.

"Wish me luck in not killing him."

He disappeared and reappeared at the stairs. Rachel ran over to the railing to see the interaction.

"No one leaves until we figure this out," Five told his brother.

Luther grabbed the front of Five's clothes before tossing him off the railing.

"_Luther_!" Rachel shouted at him as Five disappeared from building before he could hit the ground.

Luther looked back up at her as she pointed at the empty space where he would have been.

"He was in my way. You know he's fine, isn't he?"

Rachel glared, but she could sense that Five landed in the back alley outside, mad as hornet while simultaneously impressed with his brother. While searching for him, she was surprised to notice another familiar person. Lila was outside somewhere. Rachel turned away from Luther who just continued on his way. Lila must have alerted Five to her presence because he was surprised, annoyed, and angrier. He also clearly meant to keep his promise of killing her. As she felt Five hesitating in the alleyway, Rachel tried something new. She sent a feeling of confusion, the feeling one gets when they have a question. Conviction rose in his feelings, with a degree of calm. He then took after Lila. Rachel took that as his way of telling her he would be fine on his own. She was honestly relieved that she had tried emotional communication. It was not clear at all, nor something she could probably do with someone other than Five, but she was quite proud of herself for trying.

Walking back into the living room, she found Klaus eating a bowl of Elliott's jello. She gave him a disgusted face as he addressed the women around him.

"You know, I could really go for some tacos right now. Allison? Tacos?"

"Shouldn't we wait?" Allison asked, looking back at Rachel.

Klaus waved a hand at them.

"You know those guys. I mean, it could take forever for them to bro it out. Rachel, tacos?"

Rachel smiled at Allison.

"I actually agree. I don't think those three will be back any time soon."

Klaus looked over at his quiet sister.

"Vanya, tacos?"

"Is there any way that tacos are gonna cause the end of the world?" she questioned.

Rachel laughed while Allison smiled, grabbing her purse. Klaus stood up with a scoff.

"I mean, there's only one way to find out, right?"

**Author's Note**: Hi, everyone! I want to start out by saying how much I appreciate the positive feedback from this story. The reviews are really what keep this story going. I've put all my other stories on hold to focus on this one because I have reviews here. There are a few things that have consistently been appearing in the reviews that I want to address. First let me start positive: I love hearing what you like about a particular chapter! That really helps me know what landed for you all. Unfortunately, some requests for what to show in the story are just not possible. I've wanted to incorporate what people are asking for but, and this is hard for someone with anxiety and a people-pleasing personality to say, I can't write certain things for this story. I absolutely understand the appeal for flashbacks where people want to know _exactly_ when Five or Rachel began falling for each other, but that isn't how feelings work. There isn't this one moment where you realize you have a crush on someone or are in love with someone, not when you are looking back on a relationship. Realistically, we're not going to have more post-apocalypse flashbacks in this story unless future seasons of the show provide ideas. I've told their story there up to this point. To recap, before the apocalypse, Five and Rachel did not have crushes on each other. Five knew he _could_ like Rachel, but he also knew that some of his brothers did, too. He actively chose to just like her as a person until he had no choice in the apocalypse. He redirected his feelings to postpone the inevitable. Rachel, while emotionally mature at fifty-eight, can't even tell when she started liking Five. She just did, because sometimes that just happens. We are in territory for flashbacks for The Commission now and their childhood is always an option. But flashbacks, while fun, aren't the story I'm making. These flashbacks are always connected to Rachel's memories in relation to what is occurring to her at the moment (only one related to Five's memories). They are supplements to the story, but not the story itself. Rachel is trying to focus on the present and their future now, so the story will reflect that. Additionally, all the chapters can't just be about Five and Rachel together. Love doesn't mean you have sweet moments all the time or stay by that person's side constantly. The story is also about Rachel and the other Hargreeves siblings, so they'll be getting more time with her. After all, she is family. TLDR: I'm sticking to where Rachel is mentally in the story instead of adding flashbacks that don't relate to her present. I just wanted to be upfront. I hope you all can understand and appreciate that. Thank you for loving Rachel's journey with the Umbrella Academy and I hope you all will continue to support her story!


	29. Chapter 28

The four headed out to a taco place just down the street from the back alley. After having their fill of tacos thanks to Allison, the three who were visually of legal drinking age raided the liquor store before going back to the hair salon where Allison worked since she arrived in the 1960s.

The group sat around the salon, drinking and listening to music on the radio. Allison, with alcohol running through her, began informing the others about her husband, Ray. They had apparently gotten into an argument before leaving the house.

"The _nerve_ of that man," she growled, taking a comb to Klaus's hair," I mean, one thing goes wrong, and he's on the warpath. I mean, doesn't know who I am? No, no. No, Ray, you know _exactly _who I am. _You _just can't handle it. I'm-I'm protecting him."

Rachel was disrupted from her vodka by the sound a soft snap. She glanced across the salon at Allison and Klaus. The snap had been Allison putting clips in Klaus's hair. She smiled as she looked beside her at Vanya. The girl was using finger guns to fake shoot the line of empty beer bottles in front of her.

"Ow. From what?"

"The end of the world, for one."

"Is the world really gonna end in six days?" Vanya asked.

Allison looked at Rachel and Vanya through the mirror.

"Well, it did last time, and we did everything Five could think of to stop it."

"The answer is yes, Vanya. The problem is Five comes up with great ideas. Successful solutions are…rather elusive."

Klaus groaned and got up from his chair.

"Hey, wouldn't it be weird of Five grew up all hot?" he questioned," Wouldn't that be weird?"

Rachel smirked to herself as the sisters protested about how gross that would be before they all came to the same realization at once. Someone in the room had seen Five grow up. All eyes turned to Rachel. She raised her vodka bottle to them before taking a pull.

"To all your discomfort, he is incredibly hot. Granted, after a while, he was fairly unkempt in the-"

She waved her hand in front of her chin, referencing a beard but the word escaping her. Allison scrunched up her nose.

"Ewww."

Klaus turned around toward the protest as he stood in the center of the salon.

"Please, Miss 'Luther was my lover,'" he retorted, making kissy sounds.

Allison waved the hand that did not have alcohol in it at her brother.

"We have never even kissed."

"Yeah, but you guys were making little sick moon-dog eyes at each other all through puberty and breakfasts and all that."

Rachel pointed at Klaus and then Allison.

"That is totally accurate. Your eyes were like magnets. Finding each other everywhere you went."

Vanya spun around with an amused look on her face. Allison sat in Klaus's former seat, propping her foot up on a stool.

"Aren't we all brothers and sisters, or…?" Vanya questioned.

Klaus snorted with a grin as moved behind Rachel, stroking her silky hair with his free hand. The other was occupied with a black flask.

"Not me!" the girl crowed cheerfully, taking a drink.

"Well…technically, it-" Allison started.

"'Technically?' If you have to word…use the word 'technically,' you're already in trouble," Klaus pointed out, giggling.

Allison loudly interjected as Klaus began pouring whiskey into his flask.

"Okay, can…can we focus? I mean, clearly we're not saving the world tonight, but maybe, maybe, we could at least try to save my marriage."

"No!" Klaus protested," No, because that's like…that's like asking a nun how to hump someone's leg."

Rachel had a feeling that phrase would still be confusing to a sober person. None of the women there knew what he meant.

"I mean, who in this room knows shit about relationships? This one?" he asked pointing at Vanya.

Rachel raised her hand but got ignored, so she waved it away.

"In secret love with some farm Frau."

"Her name's Sissy."

"Which is an improvement on her previous love interest the serial killer."

Vanya looked at him with concern, sitting up in her chair.

"What?"

Allison waved it off saying "Later."

"Meanwhile, I'm carrying a torch for a soldier I haven't technically met yet, and Luther is in love with his sister."

"Okay, _again_, we are not biological."

"Face it, the healthiest long-term relationship in this family was when Five was banging both Rachel and that mannequin."

Rachel took the biggest swig of her alcohol she could manage.

"FYI…" she sniffed, trying to process her words," He was only banging me…but no…it is not a great example of a functional relationship."

Klaus stretched an arm to her as if to say "See?" and looked back at his sisters.

"The only thing the Umbrella Academy knows about love…is how to screw it up."

Allison and Vanya raised a glass to that comment, but Rachel withheld by shaking her head.

"Forgive me if I hold me and Five's _current_ relationship to a higher standard."

The Hargreeves in the room turned to her. Allison pointed at her.

"You know, that brings me to a question I've been meaning to ask."

Rachel went to drink more of her bottle but found it empty. Cursing, she put it down on the counter beside her.

"Dazzle me."

"How, in forty-five years, did you two not have kids? Or did you leave one in the apocalypse somewhere?"

Rachel pounded the counter with a fist a couple of times before turning in the chair with a fake smile.

"Well…technically speaking that would have only been possible for about thirty years of our domestic partnership. I guess plus these past two weeks, eh, whatever. That is _if_…I could have kids. Which…I can't."

Eyebrows around the room were raised. The radio was the only sound in the room as the three in the room processed her words. Allison leaned forward in her chair.

"You never told me that," she stated, almost accusingly," Did you tell Vanya and not me?"

"Wait…how do you know you can't and just…didn't?" Vanya asked.

Rachel picked up the whiskey bottle and looked around for a glass, not wanting to be as unclassed as she had with the vodka.

"Oh, no, I found out when we were all still teens. I told no one. Five was the first, actually. Now you three. That serum really did a number on my body…functionally. Seems it just shriveled me on up like a prune."

Klaus made a face and clutched at his groin area.

"I take back everything I ever said about wanting to take that serum."

"I'm exaggerating a little, but no…you really didn't want that. _Besides_, imagine if I could have kids. How many kids would we have had by then? Ugh, the idea of raising even one in that environment. Not to mention, could you imagine Five as a parent?"

Shudders went around the room at the thought. Rachel made a face at them.

"Okay, it wouldn't be _that_ awful, you whiners. The point I'm trying to get to is while he has mentioned spending the rest of our lives together and…kind of implied marriage…how can it happen if every time we go somewhere the end of life follows us? And, the hero complex your father instilled in us makes settling down so complicated. I mean-"

Rachel pointed at Allison.

"Do you know what I'd give to have a house to call my own? A-And pictures! Pictures on a damn wall showing love and lives lived. Me? I would _love _to decorate a house. But we're always on the move, always living off the adrenaline, always trying to survive. I mean…I _died_ in a previous timeline apparently. It's exhausting…but I love Five so…that's my life."

"You could tell him that," Vanya suggested.

Rachel raised an eyebrow at her. Klaus and Allison both let out cynical laughs. Vanya nodded her head in understanding after thinking it through. Klaus patted Rachel's head.

"Oh, sweet baby, you married into the wrong family."

Rachel removed his hand, annoyed. The group was quiet for a minute before Vanya spoke up again. Klaus lit up a cigarette for himself.

"How do you guys deal with this?"

"What?" Allison asked of her sister.

"I mean, all of it. The time travel, feeling people's emotions, seeing the dead, the end of the world…"

"Well, I get really high," Klaus noted, sitting down in a chair by Rachel," Rachel and Five do it really loudly without consideration for the entire neighborhood. Allison…Allison…lies to herself."

Rachel pinched Klaus's arm very hard while Allison kicked the stool her foot was on so forcefully that it rattled across the room to him. He stopped it with his own foot as it lost momentum.

"Hey! I bruise like a peach!" he protested before looking toward Vanya, "And you…suppress all your emotions deep, deep down until you…you blow shit up."

"Yeah, I'd really like to not do that anymore."

Rachel got up and went behind Vanya, wrapping her arms around the girl's shoulders and hugged her. The woman smiled and put her hands on Rachel's arms.

"We'd truly appreciate it," she told her best friend, kissing her cheek.

"Well, you've got six days, missy," Klaus told her.

Allison, still in a bad mood, had begun to take a curling iron to her hair.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with six days?"

Klaus shrugged at her through the mirror.

"Party? I don't know."

Rachel stood up as Vanya sat up straighter, her feelings registering some confidence.

"I'm gonna tell Sissy that I love her," she announced.

Klaus looked at his sister in shock while Allison watched her through the mirror with concern. Rachel leaned back against the counter as Vanya turned toward Klaus.

"I don't want any secrets."

Allison turned and nodded, pointing her comb at her sister. Klaus nodded while Rachel gave a thumbs up.

"Yeah," they all agreed, but Allison continued.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Yes, 'cause, you know, if…it's all gonna go tits-up, the least I could do is be honest with my husband. And you can be honest with Five about wanting a stable life."

Rachel's eyebrows lifted as she blinked rapidly at Allison.

"We're all participating in this exercise? Yes, let me tell Five I want a stable life someday _before we die from a nuclear blast_!"

"Better than never saying it!"

Rachel grumbled, but could not argue with the woman's point. Despair emanated from Klaus as they spoke.

"Oh…does that mean I have to face my cult? I just hate group breakups. It's why I stopped dating twins."

Vanya threw up her hands.

"This family's amazing."

The rest of them in the room started cackling with laughter. The three of them all got up from their seat at her words.

"Yeah, sure."

"Whatever you say, Vanya."

"Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

The standing three fell into a group hug that they opened to their final member in the group.

"Come here, Vanya."

"Come on, get over here."

She leaped up and bounced over to them. As the four of them hugged it out, the radio started up a new song.

"Oh! You guys!" Allison gasped, "I love this song!"

She ran over and turned the song up. It was Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away." When she came back, she led them all in dancing in the open spaces of the salon. They used every inch of the salon they could, thoroughly enjoying the moment of forgetting all their troubles and just dancing. When the song was ending, they all collapsed back into the chairs they had been sitting in before. Allison looked around at the group.

"Well…we should go make good on our deals, huh? Let's all tell the truth."

Rachel pulled her hair in front of her and began braiding it.

"So, you were serious? That isn't just the alcohol?"

"I'm serious."

After finishing her braid, Rachel tossed it back over her shoulder, feeling the hair coming undone almost immediately.

"Only because I love you crazies, sure. Everyone tells the truth. Deal?"

"Deal," two convincing and one begrudging voices rang out.

The four parted ways. Rachel moved down the street and back through Morty's back alley. It was dark by the time she made it back. She was just about to open the door in the back alley, when she sensed someone she didn't know step into the alley. She turned to see a calm feeling old man, looking somewhat undernourished by how gaunt he was. She waited, monitoring if his feelings shifted, but he reached her without a waver in his emotions. She was then handed an envelope. He then turned and left.

Rachel looked to her left and right, confused, before opening the envelope. She pulled out an invitation. At the top it read "From the Office of Sir Reginald Hargreeves." She frowned.

"Wait, really? 'To my Prusuers: I, Reginald Hargreeves, request the pleasure of your company-' Oh, pleasure my ass. This man…"

She read the rest to herself, noting that the dinner would be tomorrow night. An address was provided at the bottom. Tapping the invitation on her hand twice, she turned and went upstairs. She was relieved to feel Five appear in her power's boundaries. Moving faster up the stairs, she entered Elliott's while holding out the invitation. Her partner swung around from his spot in the kitchen.

"Did you get one, too?" she asked, closing the door.

"Jeez, Rachel, I was ready to kick you back through the door. You know better than to just burst into places just because you know who is in the room."

She wiggled the paper at him, causing him to take it. He read it through.

"This must be for both of us since we've only been seen together. This is perfect. We can now get Dad's help and, hopefully, sort this whole doomsday issue out. That is if Diego doesn't try to stab him in retaliation."

Rachel went deeper into the kitchen and started making sandwiches for their dinner. Having been left alone for most of a day, finally, Elliott seemed to be catching up on some much-needed sleep in his bedroom. She grinned as she worked on the meal.

"When Diego gets back, he is going to kick that poor man out of his bed again."

"Well, we'll be out of Elliott's hair soon enough," Five noted, "By the way, are you drunk? I smell vodka and whiskey."

Rachel grinned and shook her head at him.

"You're like an alcohol bloodhound. Yes, alright? Allison bought Klaus, Vanya, and I tacos before we all got drunk at her hair salon. I'm good now…I think. Aside from the room tilting every so often, I'm coherent."

Finishing with the sandwiches, the two sat down to eat at the kitchen table. Rachel looked at her partner, who was seated next to her, munching on his sandwich.

"What happened Five? I can tell you had a not so pleasing encounter with Lila today."

Five swallowed his food before shaking his head at her. He then gave her one of his intense looks.

"I ended up following her to a paint warehouse of some kind and after fighting her, realized she's with the Commission."

Rachel frowned.

"Another assassin? Getting in with Diego is deeper than they usually go."

Five wagged a finger at her.

"No. The Handler sent her."

Rachel choked on her sandwich. Luckily, she coughed it right back into her mouth before dying.

"I'm sorry," she said around the murderous bite," I thought Hazel…You know what, never mind, that woman is already a demon, so returning from the dead may just be one of her many skills."

"And even better, Lila is her daughter."

Rachel stared at her sandwich.

"That…makes complete sense. She got to Diego to get to you and accidentally fell for him. But now that they've fallen out, the plan is still in motion because she went back to mommy. Since you made it back here, I assume she needs you for something?"

Five, who had been eating, glanced around the kitchen.

"She wants to be in charge of the Commission."

Rachel made a horrified face.

"Please tell me you said no. That woman having that much power? That'd be beyond terrible."

"Yes, but she offered to change the rules so that we could all safely leave and return to 2019 without any apocalypse problems."

The girl narrowed her eyes.

"Okay…and she wants you to do what? AJ would throw a fish fit before letting that happen. The Board of Directors would never let her be in charge."

Five gave Rachel a look that said she was on to something. Her face crumpled into one of concern.

"What?"

"She wants me to take out the Board at one of their quarterly meetings. She said I was free to bring you as help if I needed it."

Rachel put her sandwich down on her plate.

"And you said…?"

Five put the rest of his sandwich in his mouth.

"I said I'd think about it," he said around the bite.

The female sat back in her chair and rubbed her temple. Five reached out and put his hand on hers.

"Hey, if Dad can help us, we won't need her help."

Rachel put her other hand on his.

"Five, if you help her this one time, who says she won't ask for more. The woman is manipulative, conniving, and-"

"I'm aware of her nature. I'm hoping we can go another way, okay?"

Rachel ate her sandwich quietly for a while, pouting slightly. Five kept reading over the invitation his father had sent. After finishing up her meal, she cleaned the dishes and put them on the drying rack. After drying her hands, Rachel turned to Five.

"Allison made the four of us swear to tell our truths."

Five turned around and looked at Rachel with a frown.

"Okay? And what truth do you need to tell?"

The blonde rubbed her hands together, trying to figure out where to start. Five, noticing, got up and went over to her.

"Let me guess," he said, taking her hand and tugging her toward the second bedroom," You all complained and shared way more than any of you would if you were sober."

Rachel smiled.

"It was pretty nice, actually."

As they got to the room, Five closed the door and gestured at Rachel.

"Alright, what is the secret?"

Rachel sat on the bed and folded her hands in her lap.

"Five, you know I love you."

"Well, this can't be good…"

"Will you please…hush?"

Five grinned but he motioned for her to continue. She bit her lip slightly before saying in a rush.

"I want to settle down someday. You, a house, maybe a pet. We don't have to have a pet, actually! We'd probably be cat people, but I don't want to clean a litterbox. Nevermind. You and a house are good. But a house. Not a small room at the Commission. A house. You. Me. Pictures on walls. Decorations, planning things…_together_."

Five stared at her. It almost looked like his brain had stopped working for a moment, which was highly unusual. Rachel gave him an awkward smile.

"I'm not saying…_right _this second. Or even in the next, like, five years until we at least…_look_ like we are at an age where we can do that. Probably sooner because we could probably lie about our ages at some point. After all we'd be way older than any age we claim we are legally."

"Rach."

Five just held up his hand to get her to quiet down. The girl sunk back into the bed a little. As the alcohol was wearing off significantly thanks to this conversation, she really wished she had grabbed the bottle of whiskey before Klaus did to take home. Damn Allison and her stupid trust exercise.

"Please don't break up with me," Rachel said, quietly.

Five let out a laugh at that. He went over and sat next to her, taking her hand in his.

"You've done worse than tell me you want a stable life someday. _I've_ done _far_ worse and you're still here."

Rachel glanced up at him.

"I just…I got excited at the idea of living another whole life with you. One where…it really is just you and me. And…some of those feelings I had when I was young came back. One of…having a family and a happy home. You know just…minus the kids we know I can't have."

Five squeezed her hand.

"I'm glad you told me. The last thing I need is you resenting me forty-five years from now for not noticing what you wanted. Who knows…maybe someday things will calm down enough for that. I'll keep it in mind, okay? I love you, Rach."

The two kissed, hands clasped tightly. When Rachel pulled away, she smiled at Five.

"I think I'm going to bed now."

Five glanced at the clock on the side table.

"It's only 8 o'clock…"

Rachel got up and turned out the light, the room cascading into darkness.

"I said I'm going to bed. Not to sleep."

"Oh," she heard a touch of amusement in Five's voice but a surge of excitement from his feelings, "Well, I won't stop you."

"And I think that we should wake up the entire neighborhood…in honor of Klaus."

"And now I'm less thrilled about where this may be going…"

Rachel just laughed, believing his statement and deciding she'd fill him in on the joke later.


	30. Chapter 29

-The Commission:-

Rachel dodged a punch. Grabbing her opponent at the elbow, she tripped them, forcing them to the ground using their arm as lever. Another person came at her, so she swung her leg around. They leapt back as she spun to stand, facing them. She dodged as they threw multiple punches. Catching their timing, she kicked them in the stomach while they were prepping for their next punch, then rammed her fist into their jaw, sending them sprawling.

"Damn, old lady," the first opponent grunted, "You don't hold back."

"Well, Andy, maybe if you guys shook up your attacks once in a while…"

Rachel held out her hand, shaking the strands of white hair out of her face. She would have to redo the bun she had put up. The man took it and let her help him to his feet.

"Georgia, your jaw okay?"

The woman Rachel had knocked in the face shook her head.

"Bruised as much as my ego, but I'm fine."

The two smiled at each other. Rachel practiced with Georgia and Andy a couple times a week. Five was once again off on a mission he chose to take himself. Rachel finished a short lived one the day before, destroying a scientist's research before he could figure out how to travel to parallel universes. At least, that was what the file said. Rachel and Five held a degree of cynicism for each mission. Meeting new people proved hard for them in the first couple of weeks, as they grew used to being the only ones around. Over time, though, with Herb and Dot's friendly aid, they were getting used to the flow.

Rachel and Five had only been with the Commission three months and, after a few missions together, they were now ships passing in the night, never knowing if they would have time to spend alone together. And with Dolores, of course. When they first arrived, they were given a room together, something akin to a studio apartment. They had been lab rats while they were given the skills of historical assassins, given the tour by Herb, and instructed on all of the Commission's rules and procedures. Since then, Five took every case he felt was too bloody for Rachel, while she took on a number of stealth jobs. So far, they were home for a night twice a month if they were on separate mission schedules. Rachel made a lot of friends in the Commission and her steady roommate was Dolores. She even took to helping train new recruits. She was called in far too often to do psych evaluations for the newbies, so she already filed a formal complaint about exploitation. Yet, despite the chaos and constant movement of being part of a large unit, Rachel was tired of waking up to an empty bed. She had even started putting Dolores in the bed with her to feel less alone. It was not working well.

Getting back to the room, Rachel showered off the sweat, changed, and picked up a book on internet cultures of the 2010s. It was rather fascinating to her, particularly this concept of memes that gained popularity. She lay in the bed for an hour reading when the door opened. A clean-shaven older man in a suit stepped into the room. Rachel closed the book with a snap.

"Five!"

He only had a moment to chuckle before the woman was squeezing him.

"We missed you so much. It is actually really hard for us to handle being without you for so long after…"

Rachel pulled back and stroked Five's face. Her thumbs tracing the age lines of his face. The ones she got to watch appear over time. Five leaned down and kissed her.

"I take it you and Dolores are doing well?"

Rachel nodded as he took of his hat and began taking off his suit jacket. She followed behind him grabbing what he took off and hanging them up in the closet. She waited while he greeted Dolores.

"How could we not?" she started, when he looked back at her, "I'm exercising, she gets to lounge. I finished my last mission in about two days. Dot promised that Dolores had no trouble while we were both gone."

Five nodded at her words before sitting on the bed.

"We already have a new mission. I honestly didn't understand the last one. You know, The Handler came and checked on things personally."

Rachel frowned at him. She started undoing is tie for him.

"I don't think they do observations that soon. You've also done perfectly here. And another mission so soon? I barely see you anymore."

Five took Rachel's hand and urged her to sit on the bed. Her patted her thigh, comfortingly.

"Yes, but this one we can do together. I promise. I'm starting to miss you both too much."

"Good. You had better! So, tell us about this mission…"

-1963:-

Five appeared in Elliot's kitchen. It was early morning, barely past midnight. He grabbed a glass of water from the cupboard and turned on the tap. As he drank, he could hear Luther's loud snores from Elliot's bedroom. As he glanced over, he noticed the door open. Diego came out and gave his brother a concerned look.

"Can't sleep?"

Five held up the glass he held.

"Dehydrated."

Five fell into a chair at the kitchen table, rubbing at his already messy hair. Diego looked at his brother curiously. He looked more disheveled, almost messy. His hair was stuck up all over and he'd buttoned up his white shirt incorrectly. Diego snapped his fingers.

"Oh, you two were-"

"Shut up, Diego, I have a headache."

Unperturbed, Diego sat down at the kitchen table with his older, but younger-looking brother.

"Come on, what's eating you? Is it about seeing Dad?"

Five sighed and shook his head.

"No. That's simple. I've just got…a lot on my mind…"

The boy stared at the glass for a moment before looking at his brother.

"Do you want alcohol? I want some."

Diego kept his brother at the table by grabbing his arm. Five must have been torn on the alcohol because he let his brother win. He leaned in to look at Five.

"Somethings eating you. Is it about Rachel?"

He knew he was right when the blue eyes shifted away from him.

"_There_ it is…So what is it? Second thoughts on life round two?"

"Of course not."

Five was practically pouting now. Diego tapped the table quietly to get his brother's attention.

"Hey, you gave me advice, I'll give you some. But you have to tell me what it is first."

Taking another drink of water, Five heaved a long sigh. He then looked at his brother.

"She wants a steady life someday."

Diego frowned.

"Like most normal women…I don't quite see what the problem is-"

"The _problem_, Diego, is that I don't know if I _can_ give her that. We've encountered two doomsdays in the span of two weeks! How does that bode well for the future? What do I have to my name anyway?"

For once, Diego could so how desperately in love Five was with Rachel. Not that he did not believe the words he said the day before, but the fact that making her happy could leave him ragged and worried in the middle of the night showed he was a normal guy. Human. In love. It was somewhat heartwarming.

Diego leaned back in his chair.

"Well, as someone who is highly knowledgeable about Rachel in her younger years-"

"That is highly disturbing phrasing. Please never say that again."

"-I know that she can be easily pleased with whatever you provide."

Five narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"That's your wisdom from on high?"

"It's advice! Do with it as you will."

"The woman wants a house, Diego. A cat. No, she took back wanting a cat. We could get a dog. I like dogs. Oh, no, I'm becoming her…"

Diego snorted.

"You two passed the turning into each other phase a _long_ time ago."

Five shrugged and emptied his water glass.

"The point is, Diego, that she wants an actual, physical symbol for this steady relationship. So saying she'll take whatever I give does not help me when I need _a physical entity_."

Diego looked around, making sure no one heard Five's outburst. The place was still quiet, and Luther's snores were still intact. He spotted Elliott asleep on the couch in the living room, undisturbed. Turning back to his brother, Diego gestured for him to wait. He tiptoed out to the living room, found a blank sheet of paper and a pen. He then went back to his seat. He began drawing.

"Rachel, back when we were very little…like seven or something…used to draw…a house like…this."

Five squinted at the paper.

"This drawing sucks."

Diego gave him an annoyed look before pointing at aspects of his masterpiece.

"She would always draw a simple house, so I'm pretty confident she didn't care what kind of house. But it always had a white picket fence, that is what these spikes are-"

Five could not hide the mean smirk on his face at his brother's concept of a picket fence.

"The house was always a light blue color. And, you know, she _did_ have a cat and dog running around the yard. A few kids and then a stick figure husband. Voila. Physical insight to your girlfriend's dream home."

The two brothers looked over the drawing before Five looked over at Diego.

"You really have no talent for art."

Diego grabbed the paper and crumbled it up.

"You know what? See if I help you again."

He got up and trashed the paper. As he was moving to go back to sleep, Five stopped him by speaking up.

"While your advice doesn't help…it did make me feel better. Now I know what she may be thinking of. That's better than nothing…"

Diego leaned on the doorframe to Elliott's bedroom.

"You're welcome," he said, with intention, "Now you can keep being the best guy for her and we can all rest easy at night knowing you aren't creeping around."

As he disappeared into the room and closed the door, Five got up and headed back to the second bedroom. He smiled to himself.

"Of course, she _would_ like a picket fence," he scoffed, amused.

It was then he heard the soft call of his name. Five opened the door to find Rachel reaching an arm to the side of the bed where he had been sleeping.

"Five?" she called out again, sleepily.

"I'm here."

He unbuttoned the shirt he put on to go to the kitchen, putting it on a hanger in the room. Getting back onto bed, he watched as Rachel rubbed her eyes and seemed to finally see him.

"Oh."

She reached out and touched his face, her thumb slowly moving across his skin. Five smiled, turning to kiss her hand.

"I just got some water from the kitchen."

"I…thought you were on a mission again. But, we're not there anymore. I'm glad."

Five gave her a soft smile, crawling back under the covers. He pulled Rachel into his arms, holding her tightly.

"No. Thankfully we're not there anymore."

**Author's Note: **Thank you to all those who understood my previous note! Thank you for all the continued support! This is the last one I'll write for this story. I think a few people misunderstood one thing that I mentioned, so I've been confused by some reviews. I was just announcing that I have no more post-apocalyptic specific flashbacks for the story unless future seasons spark it. That does not mean there won't be _any _flashbacks. That was _not _what I was saying. As I noted previously, you'll still see ones from when they are kids and at the Commission. I just wanted to be upfront about how the flashbacks function, as they are connected to Rachel's mentality at the present time. Like, they are triggered and anchored by current events in her life. I just wanted to be upfront with you all about there not being post-apocalypse flashbacks for the rest of this season, since a lot of people kept mentioning them in reviews. Just wanted to clarify the confusion.


	31. Chapter 30

The next day, Five and Rachel spent most of the day shopping. She insisted that she wanted to be adequately dressed for the meeting with their father. She picked out a few more outfits than were necessary for the evening. She was particularly excited about a cropped button-down jacket that tied at on the left side, but that was for a normal day. For the dinner, she chose a light blue dress with pockets on the front skirt. She also got a pair of white keds to go along with the dress.

At the designated time, Five and Rachel found themselves standing in front of a large building. The sign on it read Southland Life. Inside, the entrance held a crisscrossing staircase. The walls had quite the artistic feel to it. There were drawings of random things and on top of that some painted art.

As they walked up the stairs, Rachel squeezed the hand that was in hers.

"Don't be nervous. I'm here."

Five stopped on the stair and watched as she kept moving to stand level with him.

"I still hate when you do that," he said, trying to smile but failing.

She patted his cheek with her free hand.

"Just breathe, my love."

Five exhaled through his nose with some degree of protest but letting her tug him along up the stairs. On the second floor was a hallway with elevator doors. He ended up taking her advice as they waited for the lift. The doors opened soon enough. Five hit the button for the correct floor and sighed. Just as the doors were closing, a hand stopped the elevator.

"Wait up."

Diego appeared in the reopening door. Rachel and Five were soon making room, moving farther and farther to their right as the rest of the Hargreeves siblings all joined them in the elevator.

"Good. We're all here," Five smirked.

Rachel could sense that all of her companions were nervous. They had only gone up a couple of floors when a guilty feeling struck Luther, who stood front and center of them all. Rachel frowned, but soon the entire elevator could tell the reason. The elevator began to smell like death.

"Luther!" Klaus scolded.

"Oh, my God," Vanya's quiet voice protested.

Everyone covered their noses except Diego, who found it oddly funny, and Klaus, who had probably smelled worse in his life. Everyone's nervousness turned to disgust at Luther.

"Sorry, I'm nervous," he announced.

As soon as the elevator opened on the correct floor, everyone abandoned the enclosed space quickly.

"Nasty," Allison commented from behind Rachel and Five.

"You must be joking," Five muttered.

"None of that," Klaus stumbled out.

Finally, out in air they could breathe again, they took in the sights before them. A sign confronted them in yellow letters reading "Tiki Lounge." The entire floor was decorated to match. It was as if they were in a tiki hut. Just below the area to the elevator, there were a few dining tables. There was a large one in the center with just enough seats for everyone, containing the largest fruit bowl Rachel believed she ever encountered. Soft island music sounded through the room. A full bar stood across the room from them, which Klaus made a beeline for. It seemed that they arrived before Reginald Hargreeves.

"All right, when Dad gets here, I'll do the talking, okay?" Five told them.

He was the first to reach the table. Everyone moved to stand around it at their own pace.

"I've got a few questions for him myself," Diego piped up.

"Hey, we don't wanna scare him off, alright? He might be able to help us stop doomsday, get us home."

"No, we need to figure out why he's planning to kill the president," Diego insisted, reminding them of his only concern.

"This is a matter of life and death, you imbecile."

Rachel was about to scold them both, but Vanya spoke up.

"Okay, yeah, maybe we should take turns talking. Yeah?"

Five leaned his hands on the table and scoffed as the girl grabbed an object of a dining table nearby.

"Here, whoever has got this conch shell gets to talk."

Rachel let out an uncontrolled laugh that got her glares from the other Hargreeves.

"I'm sorry, its just about time someone tried this with you all."

"Vanya, we don't have time for a debate, okay?" Five countered.

Allison trotted down the steps and took the conch from Vanya's hand.

"Maybe I should lead. We all know I'm a much better public speaker than the rest of you."

The boys all filled with annoyance at her suggestion except Luther who just took a seat at the table. Rachel followed his example, not being a part of the debate. She had nothing she needed to say to their father.

"Okay, Daddy's girl."

"Oooh, jealous, Number Two?"

Diego started moving around the table toward his sister.

"Hey, no more numbers. No more bullshit. We're Team Zero."

Rachel put an arm over the back of her chair and looked up at him.

"You know zero is a number, right? You just labelled all of yourselves as zero."

"Your included, Miss Sass. We're all Team Zero.""

Rachel put her hands up, indicating she was not pushing the issue further. Luther cleared his throat.

"Uh, Diego," he smiled," You don't have the conch."

Diego gestured for his brother to wait before taking the conch from Allison. He then proceeded to chuck in across the restaurant. There was a sharp sound as it shattered against the wall.

"Classic," Allison sighed.

It was then that double doors at the side of the room burst open and Reginald Hargreeves came marching in. Rachel felt the anxiety in the room spike and the noise die down. All eyes were on the man who invited them all here. He came in carrying a stack of files and a book. He barely looked at them as he moved to a seat none of them had occupied and slowly sat down. Most of his children followed suit.

"Not only have you burglarized my lab," he started, undoing the buttons of his suit jacket sleeves," set my chimp loose, conned your way into the Mexican consulate, repeatedly stalked and attacked me, but you have on numerous occasions, called me…"

It was at this point that Klaus returned with his cocktail to sit down.

"Hey, Pop. How's it hangin'?"

"…'Dad.'"

Rachel herself felt slightly nervous at the man's intense demeanor. He was as infuriatingly complicated to read as usual. Exceptionally calm, but confused and curious. He was also quite perturbed. She reached a hand to Five's knee. His hand landed on hers and squeezed tightly. He was currently working up the nerve to engage with the man.

"My reconnaissance tells me you're not CIA, not KGB, _certainly_ not MI5, so…who are you?"

He looked around the table as they all stared back at him. Of all the blustering before, even those who said they would speak found themselves speechless before the man.

"We're your children," Five finally told him," From the future."

Reginald Hagreeves frown deepened, making Five feel rather stupid. Rachel pushed a bit of confidence at him and he ended up continuing.

"In 1989, you adopted us all, minus one," he nodded toward Rachel, "and trained us to fight against the end of the world. Called us the Umbrella Academy."

Klaus raised his martini glass at that. Reginald looked around at them, still having a hard time believing what he was being told.

"Why on earth would I adopt six-"

"Seven," Allison corrected, from Rachel's left, "One of us isn't here."

"Dead," Diego added, looking at his lap, "One of us is dead."

The feeling around the room included sadness among the siblings now. Klaus suddenly turned in his seat, looking behind him with irritation.

"Yeah, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. Enough of that now."

The group stared at him. Klaus turned, realizing everyone was staring. He gestured for everyone to continue.

"Regardless," Reginald started," what would possess me to adopt seven, and train eight, ill-mannered malcontents."

Five leaned forward onto the table, taking his hand from Rachel's, to lace his fingers in front of him on the table.

"We have special abilities."

"Special?" his interest piqued," In what sense?"

"In the superpower sense," Luther responded.

Reginald turned to his biggest son.

"Call me old-fashioned, but I'm a stickler for a pesky little thing called _evidence_."

Discomfort ran through everyone at the table.

"Show me."

Allison made a face as she stirred her drink.

"Everybody wants to see powers all of a sudden."

"We're not circus animals, okay?" Luther told his father," We're not gonna bounce balls on our noses and clap our hands like seals for your amusement."

Without warning, Diego threw one of his knives which turned halfway across the table to whip around Reginald and slam into a tiki poll behind him. Reginald opened a notebook he brought with him and started writing in it. Everyone leaned forward.

"What are you writing?" Diego asked.

"You are zero for two, young man," Reginald said to him.

Allison spluttered into her drink, while Rachel wished she had followed Klaus's lead and gotten herself a drink. Things were about to get wild. Diego jumped up to run at his father, but Five spatial jumped in front of him to keep him back.

"Stop!" he scolded him.

"Now that is interesting," Reginald commented.

Five sighed from his now standing position.

"All right, uh, quick rundown. Luther: super strength. Klaus can commune with the dead. Rachel can read and manipulate emotions. Allison can rumor anyone to do anything."

As he spoke, Five and Diego made their way back to their seats.

"Except she never uses it," Diego commented.

Allison looked up from her straw and smiled at her brother.

"I heard a rumor you punched yourself in the face."

Diego's eyes went white, a signature sign of Allison's power, before he punched himself as she suggested. He cried out in pain, clutching his face. Rachel grimaced at the spike of pain, despite the amusement across the rest of the table. Five gestured to his father as if to say, "There you go."

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"And you?" Reginald asked, turning to Vanya.

Luther reached out and put a hand on Vanya's.

"Uhh, maybe we don't take Vanya for a test run," he suggested.

"Oh, yeah, that's probably not a good idea," Klaus agreed.

"Yeah."

"It's fine."

Those words came from Vanya, which caused those around the table to stare.

"I can handle it," she added, lifting her hands away from Luther and reaching for a fork.

"Handle it?" Allison questioned," Last time you handled it, you definitely blew up the moon."

Everyone started talking at once, trying to stop her, but Vanya was wholly sure. Rachel lifted the edge of the orange tablecloth as if it could defend her. Vanya struck her glass with the fork, sending out a sound wave that caused the very large fruit bowl at the center of the table to explode, sending fruit bits in every direction. That done with, everyone picked fruit off their clothes and hair. Reginald cleaned and put his monocle back on, as Vanya had knocked it off. The girl was extremely pleased with herself.

"That was impressive," Luther admitted.

Diego suddenly stood up.

"Look, we know that you're involved in a plot to assassinate the president."

Five sighed, displeased that he ended up bringing that up.

"You were recently hospitalized, isn't that correct?" Reginald questioned," You still appear to be suffering from delusions of grandeur and acute paranoia."

"Am I?" Diego demanded, getting angry again.

Rachel felt a defensiveness rise in Reginald that he was masking with confidence. The girl frowned, looking between the two. Diego pulled a picture out of his pocket, presumably the one of Reginald on the grassy knoll and pushed it toward his father.

"Explain this. That's you. That's two days from now on the grassy knoll at the exact spot the president's gonna get shot."

The older man took the photo and looked at it.

"Well…" he started, concern flaring up, "I suppose you've solved it. You've single-handedly unearthed my nefarious plot. Is that what you want to hear?"

Diego's confidence retreated quickly.

"You fancy yourself a do-gooder?" he went on, "The last good man who will save us from our descent into corruption and conspiracy. This is a fantastic delusion. The sad reality is that you're a desperate man, tragically unaware of his own insignificance, desperately clinging to his own ineffectual reasoning. More succinctly, a man in over his head."

His words slowly pounded Diego back into his seat. Anger was rippling through Reginald. He suddenly glanced at Rachel. Seeming to realize her intense gaze meant she was reading his emotions; he became completely calm again. Her fists clenched under the table. Rachel could feel the crushing blow to Diego's ego, confidence, and his heart. Rage built up in her. She turned to her left and right rapidly, trying to shake it off.

"You're wr…wrong," Diego stuttered, just like he had all those years ago, a tear trailing down his cheek.

The table was quiet as Rachel took deep breaths. She felt something like her anxiety attacks but far more focused. She just wished their father could feel the pain and suffering he put all of them through. The girl clutched at her dress. With a sharp shake of her head, she shook the feeling off. It lingered in the background, not leaving as she had hoped.

"Look, forget about the president," Five sighed," We have catastrophic war coming in five days. We need to figure out how to stop it."

"War?" Reginald scoffed, having recovered himself," Men will always be at war with each other."

"No, this isn't just some war," Five contradicted," I'm talking about a doomsday. The end of the world."

"Well…" the man paused for a beat," you're the special ones, aren't you? Why don't you band together and do something about it?"

Five stared at his father, stricken. The entire table was falling into despair at this man's words. Just as always. Rachel glared back up at Reginald. Once again, he was hurting the people she cared about because he could not stop being a horribly unfeeling man. She was taken by surprise as Reginald went rigid as a board and she could tell he felt pain. He looked right at her. Rachel tried to shake it off, but for some reason she was stuck. The anger and hurt her friends were feeling filled her body and, like a direct line, stabbed straight into Reginald. The girl began to panic from being able to release him, afraid she would kill him, when she was distracted by Klaus grunting, his hands trust up into the air as his entire body shuddered. Their father breathed a sigh of relief from the pain as he turned to look at Klaus. No one else at the table seemed to notice the moment Rachel and Reginald had, which she was grateful for, but scared her. Five reached out and took Rachel's hand as she breathed carefully, trying not to have anxiety over what she just did.

"It's just Klaus," he told her, trying to be comforting.

"It's not that," she hissed," I think I almost tried to kill your dad."

Five's eyebrows lifted as he glanced at her and then at his father. He squeezed her hand.

"It's okay. You didn't and your feelings are valid. We can talk later."

The two turned back to see Klaus still wiggling in his seat.

"Is he having a seizure?" Allison questioned.

"Overdosing probably," Diego suggested, unconcerned.

Luther looked at the others around the table.

"Should we do something?"

Rachel, calmer now, and growing more concerned about Klaus's prolonged shaking, was confused. She felt the oddest emotion from Klaus. It was almost like the emotion was there and then gone, but the feeling was resistance.

"Klaus!" Five hissed, noting that Reginald was highly unimpressed with the display, "Now is not the time. What are you doing?"

"I'm-" he whispered.

"Out with it, boy," their father demanded.

"Ben!" he gasped out before passing out on the floor, shuddering. Reginald look at him with distaste before looking back to the table.

"Well," he said, picking up his notebook and files," thank you for coming."

He stood up.

"I've seen about enough.

"No, I…" Luther tried to stop him.

As Reginald practically started making his escape by stepping over Klaus, Luther slammed his fists into the table, rattling the silverware. He then ripped open his shirt to reveal his torso, which was that of an ape.

"Look at what you did to me," he yelled.

Allison almost spit out her drink. Rachel lost all emotion except universal shock from her and everyone else.

"Look at it!"

Five cringed and turned away.

"Oh, shit. Why?"

Vanya was just stunned. Reginald looked before turning and pointing at Five.

"You in the culottes. A word, in private?"

Rachel leaned back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling as Five got up and followed Reginald to the bar. Allison raised her hand to the barkeep.

"Check, please."

Once paying the bill, everyone exited onto the elevator except for Rachel, who milled about by the still messy dining table. She glanced across the way, seeing Five and Reginald sitting at the bar. She was glad that they seemed to be having a much calmer, serious discussion than the fiasco that occurred. As the two men stood up from the bar, Rachel moved over to meet them at the bar.

"Mr. Hargreeves…I wanted to apologize. I…only recently learned I can make people feel with my power, not just read feelings. I swear I wasn't actively trying to hurt you when I…I have _never_ done that before. When I tried to stop, it…it was like I got stuck. Again, I'm so sorry."

The man held a hand up to her.

"No need to explain, your husband covered that for you. To control emotions, you need to accept them, do you not? If you tried to reject the emotions, of course you had no control."

Rachel just stared at him in surprise. It was a rather insightful statement that he made while also stunning her at the reference of Five as her husband.

"I…see. Thank you for the tip. I will certainly take that into account."

With a stiff nod, he departed from the room, leaving Rachel and Five with the bartender. Five motioned for them to go to the elevator. As they walked, Five put his hands in his pockets.

"I told him we were married. I figured it might make us seem more on equal footing, considering we're older but don't look it."

"Well…just short of a ring and a ceremony, we're all but married. I'm the only one who knows you have an inferiority complex over your father just like the others, but I will never tell them. Even I do to some degree…"

Five gave her a smile and kissed the side of her head.

"You okay after the whole…inflicting pain debacle?"

Rachel sighed and leaned her head on Five's shoulder.

"If anything, it just proved I'm as screwed up as the rest of you. I need to get a handle on that. I think I'll actually take your dad's advice. Speaking of which, was he helpful?"

Five shook his head.

"Not in the way I had hoped. Unfortunately, we have only one option left to us."

The elevator door dinged open and the two stepped in. As it closed, Rachel put her hand on Five's arm.

"I don't like relying on her, Five."

"Nor do I…"

He looked down at her.

"But…if it gets us all home…I need to do it."

"_We'll_ do it. I'll help."

Five shook his head. Before he could say no, Rachel dug her fingers into his arm harder.

"I want to do this with you. I know you always take on the kills and the guilt to spare me. It isn't fair that you have to do this when you don't want to. So, you won't be alone. Not this time. We're a team, okay?"

The elevator reached the first floor, so Rachel let go of his arm so he could walk forward. After stepping out, he looked back at Rachel. He held out his hand to her.

"Okay."

She took his hand and he tugged her to him, pulling her into a kiss. After a moment, he pulled back and gave her his fake smile.

"Let's go make a deal with that demon."


	32. Chapter 31

Rachel and Five stopped outside the double doors to a hotel room door. Five looked over at Rachel before knocking on the door. The door opened quickly to reveal the Handler. She now sported a brunette hair color, her dress overly ostentatious, as usual.

"Ah!" she smiled broadly," Just in time for nightcap. And Rachel here, too, looking adorable as ever. Even better!"

She left the door open for them. Five hesitated in the doorway, feeling very much like he was selling his soul. Rachel moved into the room first, Five following and looking around before closing the door.

"You know, I don't hate the brown hair," Rachel commented as the Handler poured liquid into three glasses.

"You always were more charming that your lover."

The Handler threw a smile over her shoulder.

"To be clear," Five said, as she came over with three drinks, "we take out the board…you get me and my family home."

Seeing that neither were taking her offerings, she placed theirs back on the table before pacing the room.

"No mores doomsday," Five continued, "No more apocalypse. Is that correct?"

The Handler lay out on the bed casually, watching them with her usual cigarette stick held between her teeth.

"That's the deal."

Rachel glanced between Five and the Handler.

"And no favors after the fact. You'll have the Commission, that should be good enough to leave us alone permanently."

The Handler smiled at her former employees with amusement.

"Always thinking about the future. Yes, no more favors. On _either _side."

Rachel nodded to Five, who then looked at the Handler seriously.

"Then we're in."

She offered the two of them a folded piece of paper. Five took it and opened it. They read that the board members would be meeting at The Lonely Lodger Inn in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the year 1982. Rachel and Five looked at each other before looking at the Handler, who heaved herself off the bed.

"Look for the Midwest Soybean Society's meeting. The Board loves using legumes as a cover."

She giggled obnoxiously.

"So, are you trusting Five's time-travelling ability or are you giving us a briefcase?" Rachel queried.

The Handler smirked at the girl before walking over and pulling a briefcase out from under the couch in the room. After tinkering with it for a moment, she handed it to Rachel, her other hand stroking the girl's head, her fingers going through the blonde hair.

"Two hours on this briefcase. That should be more than enough time for you to do what you need to do. If you don't get back to it within that time frame, it will be gone."

Rachel resisted the urge to smack the woman's hand away.

"We'll meet you in the back alley of Morty's when the job is done," Five told the Handler, tugging Rachel back toward him and away from her touch.

Once again by Five, Rachel activated the briefcase and they shortly arrived in broad daylight in 1982. Rachel shielded her eyes from the sun.

"That never stops being jarring. Night to sudden sun."

Rachel glanced back to see Five examining where they were. They were across the circular drive from the lodge. Several people in colorful, cultural garb were heading into the building. Rachel assumed there must be some sort of convention that day. Five found a thick bush close to them, stashing the briefcase underneath. Unless someone was looking for something in the bush, they would never find it.

Five motioned for Rachel to follow him across the street.

"In and out. I'll take lead and go for the board; you keep people out of the hallway. No witnesses. No casualties."

Once again, he was aiming to take the killing on himself.

"Five, I can-"

"We're not debating this."

Rachel sighed. She figured he was mad enough that he had to do this, she might as well let him have his way. As they walked in, the place resounded with polka music. The lobby boasted a high ceiling and a Bavarian-style interior. The lower half of the lodge was stone, while wood made up the upper half. Chandeliers of wire hung from the center area of the ceiling. It was gorgeous. The only thing that Rachel was not a fan of were the taxidermy animals around the place.

Five nodded his head as they entered. Rachel quickly moved off away from him. At the entrance was a woman in a green attendant uniform and sporting quite the perm. She was manning a table welcoming the Wisconsin Polka Association. Five approached her. Rachel paced the length of the room casually, taking her time. She noted a number of people were walking around with coffee in Styrofoam cups. She picked up a brochure for the area on her way around. Making it to the concierge desk, she smiled over at the attendant.

"Excuse me, but my dad spilled some coffee in the hallway. He is part of the Polka Association. Can I get a cloth towel for that?"

"Oh, sure! Don't worry too much if it starts to stain, we have the carpets cleaned regularly."

The male attendant hesitated for a moment, seemingly trying to remember where the towels were before turning into the back room. As he passed by, Rachel easily unclipped his keys from the back of his belt loop. She tightly wrapped the master keys in her hand and held it against her check as he came back holding the towel out to her. Taking it with her free hand, she easily brought it to her other hand to hide the keys.

"Thank you!"

The girl bounded off into the hallway, before slowing as she got far enough into the hallway. People in their colorful outfits were milling around. Rachel folded up the towel and placed it in one dress pocket while slipping the keys into her other pocket. She glanced around, noting a cake table across from her. The end of the hall was were the Board was probably meeting as the Polka Association clearly met in the double doored room near the entrance to the lobby. Rachel sensed Five moving into the hallway. They passed by each other without an indication of knowing each other. Rachel stayed by the hallway entrance, just off to the side, pretending to read her brochure.

Rachel glanced into the hallway in concern as she felt Five's rage spiking and people nearby dashing into the Polka group's room with feelings of worry, annoyance, and concern. She turned and glanced into the hallway.

"Crazy kid…" one person commented as they disappeared.

Rachel looked to her left to find a vandalized vending machine.

"Damn it, Five," Rachel cursed, looking down the hallway and seeing him run a finger through a cake nearby.

Rachel hustled to the double doors near the lobby as Five grabbed a fire axe off the wall by the door to the Muskellunge Banquet Room, where the Board was. She pulled the doors shut on the polka dancers and locked them in with the keys. Sighing, she moved into the lobby to see a few people at the concierge desk with the attendant she had spoken with. Rachel was glad that most of the Polka Association seemed to have joined their members in their allotted room. She grabbed the keys again, locking the front door. A female attendant with dark hair came toward her.

"Young lady, where did you-"

She did not finish as Rachel punched her in the throat, making her gag and grab at her neck. Grabbing a taxidermy fish off the wall by her, she swung at the woman's head with enough force to bring her to the ground. Noticing people by the concierge desk alerted to the sound of the woman's body hitting the floor, Rachel started running. Reaching the desk, she easily smacked one man's head into the desk, knocking him out cold. Before the woman beside him, presumably his wife, could scream, Rachel swept her legs out from under her. Conveniently, her head hit the side of a table, knocking her unconscious. The attendant behind the desk, ran for the phone, but Rachel grabbed the bell on the desk, hitting him in the temple with incredible aim. He clutched his head as Rachel pulled the towel from its pocket and began strangling him with it. She slowly dragged him to the ground as she felt his consciousness fading. Once that was done, Rachel stood up and narrowed her eyes, suddenly remembering someone.

"Where is the woman with the perm?"

Focusing, Rachel felt the woman fall unconscious in the Muskellunge room. More importantly, she sensed AJ escaping down the hallway. She moved to the entrance of the hallway, reaching it with enough time to block him. It had always fascinated her, how the Commission was led by a fish who used a machine body to move. She gave him a fake smile Five would be proud of and a wave.

"Not you, too!" he bemoaned.

Five popped into existence between them wielding a cricket bat.

"Surely we can come to some form of agreement that benefits both parties. Quid pro quo? What do you say?"

Five tilted his head, cracking his neck.

"Why not? Here's your quid."

Five beat him in the ribs.

"Here's your pro."

The next hit was to AJ's right thigh.

"No! No! Please don't!" AJ begged.

"Here's your quo," Five stated, aiming the bat at the fish tank that served as AJ's head.

The glass smashed as Five hit it, water and AJ flying out into the air. Five sighed heavily. Rachel relaxed a little as she turned toward the lobby.

"I'll find a plastic bag. At least pick him up carefully with this."

Rachel tossed the towel at Five's back, but he easily reached behind him and caught it. She ran to the back room behind the concierge desk and was able to find a large enough plastic bag that held new sheets. Dumping the unused sheets, she filled the bag with water from a bathroom before Five met her and placed AJ inside.

Looking up at her partner, Rachel nodded her head. He was splattered with blood mostly across his face and torso, so she could imagine what the room looked like.

"You had to wreck the vending machine?" she questioned, opening the front door with her keys before tossing them back over her shoulder.

They clattered to the floor by the dark-haired attendant.

"It ate my change," he scowled.

As they moved across the lot, they got lucky that no one was arriving. Rachel pulled the briefcase out from under the bushes, activated it, and they were quickly back in 1963. They were once again standing in Morty's back alley. Rachel sighed and placed the briefcase yards away from them, by the street. The Handler would know they were back when it appeared in her hotel room. Rachel moved back to Five who looked deep in thought. From behind her, the briefcase disappeared with a whooshing sound. That meant the woman would be here in a few minutes.

"Five?" Rachel asked, noticing him picking at dry blood on his nails.

He looked up at her.

"I hate you seeing me like this. I always have."

Rachel frowned at him.

"Guilty and covered in blood after a kill? I'm pretty sure I killed the attendant behind the desk. I feel guilty about that, so you've seen me in the same state you are. We're here feeling bad together after killing. We always did the missions for a reason. We always planned to get back to save your family. This time isn't any different."

"Doesn't make me any less of a murderer."

"Oh, but you can still love me because I've killed less people? Five, murder is murder, your body count being higher than mine doesn't matter. We had no other choice to get out of the apocalypse and save the world. Your family, everyone in the world, would be dead without what we have done."

"Sure, but it is happening again. How many more times will this happen?"

"Five! This will be the last one. The Handler said so. Even if she is full of it…I believe it. I believe the Umbrella Academy always finds a way."

Rachel reached out for his face, but Five backed away. She did not let him as she instead reached out and pulled him into a hug.

"Rachel, you'll get blood on you."

"That's fine."

She clung onto him. After a minute, Five sighed and leaned his head against hers. She took in the pain and guilt, but also the gratefulness and love that radiated through him. She shared with him the warmth she had, accepting every aspect of who he was capable of being. Even if he felt like a cold-blooded killer, she knew he was far from it. She could feel the warmth coming from him as she held him in her arms. As she pulled away, Rachel could see some of the blood had rubbed off onto her dress. Five reached out and rubbed at her cheek. He clearly only made whatever he was trying to do worse as he frowned, upset.

"Honestly, now you look exactly how I see you in my head. Tarnished by me."

Rachel was distracted by the Handler appearing in the area just over Five's shoulder. She looked back at Five as the woman's heels clicked up the alley.

"Not tarnished. Given color."

Five pulled his hand away as the Handler stopped behind him.

"Well?"

Without looking back at her, Five held the bag with AJ out. The Handler's face lit up like it was Christmas. She gasped with pleasure.

"AJ!"

She put down her briefcase to take the bag. She gave one of her grating laughs as she examined AJ swimming around in terror. Five turned to face her with a sigh.

"You know, you're really starting to fill out those tight little shorts of yours."

Rachel glared at the woman.

"Can we escape your special forms of harassment today?" she spat at their former boss.

The Handler blew a kiss at Rachel, who scoffed, before she went back to giggling at the fish she held. She suddenly seemed to realize that Five was not engaging with her.

"Why so quiet? Thought you'd be buzzing after this morning's slaughter."

Five looked at the briefcase on the ground.

"All this killing…"

He looked at Rachel before looking over at the Handler.

"I'm done with it."

Rachel slipped her hand around Five's elbow in solidarity.

"We're done with it," she said, glaring at the woman.

"What?" the Handler pulled a white handkerchief out from between her breasts, licked it, and began wiping Five's bloody face with it," Am I supposed to take that seriously?"

"What I did today, I did for my family," he insisted," I did it to save the world."

Rachel held her tongue as the woman began wiping at her chest, ignoring her comment about harassment.

"Please," she said, pulling the cloth away after a moment, clearly unable to truly clean them up," Spare me your little assassin with the heart of gold routine, will you?"

She tapped Five on the nose before grabbing the briefcase.

"Here. Per our agreement this will get you two and your siblings back to 2019."

Five took the briefcase from her, conflicted about its cost.

"You have 90 minutes."

Rachel and Five looked at her shock as she began walking away.

"You said nothing about a time limit," Five protested.

"Actually, you have 89 minutes and 30 seconds. Better hurry."

Five looked at Rachel in a panic. Rachel cursed.

"You sneaky little-"

"This is impossible, okay?" Five continued, following the woman, "My siblings are scattered across the city."

She looked back at him with a smile.

"Nothings _impossible_. You proved that this morning when you killed the board."

"We need more time."

"Any more time and people will start asking questions. The sooner you get home and out of this time period, the better off we'll both be, so, ticktock, ticktock."

Rachel ran up and grabbed Five.

"We have to go," told him, giving the woman the dirtiest look she could," _Now_."

Five listened to her by travelling them into the lobby at Morty's. As they arrived, Rachel and Five halted before the mess on the floor. There was a pool of blood and the words "Öga för Öga" written beside it.

"I don't speak it…but is that-" Rachel noted.

"Swedish, yeah," Five replied.

The two ran up the stairs. On the landing, they found a blue sheet over the form of a body. Five pulled it back from the head to reveal the grotesquely mutilated body of Elliot.

"Damn," Five sighed.

"Oh, Elliott…" Rachel noted, feeling terrible for the guy.

He had been so nice to them, though none of them really made it easy, and gave them a place to stay. Five covered Elliot's body once again and kept moving through the living room. Luther and Diego's voices could be heard from the kitchen. Rachel arrived while it seemed Diego was on the phone.

"You killed one of ours, Olga, now we're coming after you."

Rachel frowned as she stood in the doorway. They could not possibly have thought a murderer would leave their name written in blood at a crime scene.

"You will be _dead_ by _nightfall_."

The girl covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh, my God, you are that stupid…" she mumbled.

Five came up behind her, stomping into the kitchen.

"Hey. It's _Öga för Öga_, idiots. Swedish for 'an eye for an eye.'"

Five started pulling off his jacket as his brothers stared at the two of them covered in blood.

"It means the Swedes killed Elliott."

Diego turned away from them.

"Wrong number. Have a lovely day," he said before hanging up.

Luther and Diego watched each other.

"We would have gotten there," Luther scoffed.

"Eventually."

"Yeah."

Rachel now understood Five's feelings when interacting with those two at their worst. She breezed past them to the bathroom while Five continued taking off his bloody clothes. Luther looked between the two in teen bodies.

"Uh, you have some blood on you," Luther informed them.

"A lot of blood, actually," Diego pointed out.

As Rachel began wiping blood off of her face, Five came in behind her and began to unbutton his blood soaked white shirt.

"Five, Rachel, what did you two do?" Luther demanded, sounded oddly like a parent.

Rachel glanced over at him as she adjusted the towel she was using to a cleaner area.

"How about you change out of the clothes you were wearing to dinner last night and we can talk about it then? Make it quick though, we're on a time limit."

Luther and Diego hesitated for a moment before just doing as she asked. Rachel shut the bathroom door before she and Five thoroughly cleaned up their skin and hair. Once done, Rachel left the bathroom to change into the clothes she had gotten the day before, luckily. Tossing her bloodstained dress, she put on her new black cigarette pants, the black sleeveless shirt, and the black jacket she had gotten the day before. She changed out her blood covered white keds for her black sneakers. Digging through Elliott's clothes, she found a short sleeve button-down shirt he would never get to wear again. She also grabbed three watches at Five's request. She brought the items to Five who set the watches before putting on the shirt. Rachel placed the watches out in the living room for safety before going back to the bathroom. Five looked at her as he pulled on his sweater vest. All this was achieved in under five minutes.

"I need you to go with Diego."

Rachel looked at him through the mirror.

"Afraid he'll go off track?"

Five made a face, proving her correct.

"Sure. I'll try and keep him on task."

"Thank you."

Five leaned over and kissed the side of her head before continuing with his tie. Luther appeared at the bathroom door again, adjusting his belt. As Five continued dressing, he finally got around to telling his brother what was going on.

"So, I found a way home."

"What? How?"

"All the details are irrelevant, but…I made a deal to get back to our timeline."

Rachel was leaving the bathroom when she almost ran into Diego as he pulled on a shirt.

"What about doomsday?"

"Won't happen."

"And the 2019 apocalypse?"

"Everything will be back to normal. All right?" Five arrived in the kitchen after Rachel and looked around at his brothers, "Now, no more questions. We gotta go. We have to find the others, right?"

"Yeah," Luther agreed.

Five grabbed his jacket.

"Luther, you get Allison."

"Okay."

"Diego and Rachel, Klaus, because he may take more than one person to corral. I'll get Vanya. Now, we meet back in the arrival alley in 77 minutes. Here."

Five grabbed three watches and handed one to each of his brothers.

"I synchronized these watches."

"Okay, let's do this," Luther told him.

Five kissed Rachel quickly, squeezing her arm in lieu of words to save time. As he turned and started moving, Diego called him back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. You two show up drenched in blood and expect us to believe everything's gonna go back to normal if we go home now?"

Five pointed behind him.

"Elliott just got _killed_ because of us."

"What about Dad?" Diego questioned," What about JFK?"

Rachel and Luther looked at each other as the two brothers stepped up to each other.

"Diego, we have a chance to go home and make things right. We are taking it."

The long-haired male looked down at the ground for a moment.

"I have to say goodbye to Lila."

Five blinked at his brother, ready to explode.

"Lila doesn't give a shit about you, Diego!" he screamed.

Rachel made a face and tilted her hand from side to side.

"Eh…" she disagreed quietly but stayed out of it.

"She never did," Five continued," She's one of them. She's a member of the Commission."

Diego shook his head, turning back.

"No way. Not possible."

"She was just using you to get to me. You're the Oswald of this story, my friend. The goddamned patsy."

Five turned and began walking away again.

"You don't know _what _you're talk-"

He stopped abruptly as his brother jumped back to appear right before him, finger pointing into his face.

"If you don't do this, and Rachel gets left behind, I'll kill you myself. Got it?"

With that, Five was gone. Rachel looked awkwardly over at Diego. Luther went over to his brother and put a hand on his shoulder with a heavy sigh.

"Women. Am I right?"

Rachel shook her head at the man, her jaw slack.

"Diego, come on."

She grabbed his arm as she walked past him, dragging him away from Luther and toward the stairs. Diego followed her up until they passed the chair where Elliott's body was.

"Hang on, Rach. You think we have time to…"

He pointed at the body. Rachel thought for a moment. She inclined her head to the storefront.

"Elliott's store van. We can use that. I'll grab the key. But hurry."

Once the body was in the van, the two headed off to where Klaus had left them the address to his now cult inhabited mansion.


	33. Chapter 32

-2002: The Day Before the Disappearance-

Rachel struggled to get her books into her backpack in the foyer. Training and school were done, so she had only to wait for her mom to come pick her up. Her dad always dropped her off in the mornings and mom picked her up in the evenings. She and her mom always got a special snack on the way home. Today it was going to be cupcakes from a new bakery that opened in the area.

"Hey, Ben," she said, finally manhandling her books into the bag so they fit.

Ben gave a nervous laugh from behind her.

"It really is creepy when you do that…"

Rachel turned and smiled at him, tossing the bag over her shoulder.

"Sorry. You were standing there for a whole minute in silence, so I figured you needed prompting."

The poor boys face flushed with embarrassment. Rachel cringed, feeling guilty. He had been standing there nervous before she had even spoken to him. He was also earnestly trying to push his confidence up for something.

"Did you have something you wanted to tell me?" she asked, moving over to him.

Ben shook his dark hair vigorously, making her laugh.

"No…well…yeah, but not yet."

Rachel nodded, twisting her mouth to the side. She understood how he felt. He was giving off the same emotions she dealt with when considering whether to share her last doctor's visit with her friends.

"Alright, no pressure. Just know I'm here for you if you want to talk. Your siblings, too."

Words seem to stick in Ben's throat as she turned toward the front door.

"Wait!"

Rachel stopped, glancing back at him.

"Yes?"

"Uhm…tomorrow after lessons. Like…24 hours from now…Can you meet me here again to talk? There is something I want to tell you. Not the others…just you…"

Rachel smiled at how flustered he was. Whatever his secret was, it must be a big deal to him.

"You got it, Ben. Same time, same place, tomorrow. Anyway, my mom is just about here, and I _really_ want a cupcake."

Ben let out a laugh at the glint in her eye. He knew it was not so much about the cupcake as it was about telling her mom about her day. He really wished he had a mom who would listen to his day like that. Grace was great…but she was different. Just as Rachel opened the door, Ben stepped forward.

"Hey, Rach," Ben called out.

She looked back again. Her blonde hair glinted in the light of the sunset, giving it a pinkish glow.

"Make sure to eat a vanilla one for my sake. You know I love those."

Rachel gave him a thumbs-up. Ben waved as she left. He stayed in the foyer quite a few minutes after, lost in thought.

"Now you _have_ to tell her tomorrow…" he said to himself.

-1963:-

Diego and Rachel stepped out into the backyard of Klaus's mansion. Even out here there was an overabundance of people in light blue clothes and flowers. Rachel and Diego both shuddered as they moved down the steps.

"I certainly could have lived my life without seeing that painting of Klaus," Rachel commented.

"Or that foursome trying to outdo the Kama Sutra."

"I'm actively trying to burn that image out of my brain. At least they let us know Klaus is out here somewhere…"

"Speaking of which, we shouldn't have had to stop and ask for directions. What kind of time is it for your powers stop working? What the hell is going on, Rachel?"

The girl pouted at him.

"I don't know! I can't feel him. I feel you, I feel the foursome as much I don't want to, and everyone else with in a mile of this compound. Klaus isn't here according to my powers."

Diego thought for a moment as they wandered across the huge expanse of lawn until they spotted Klaus out on the grass with a girl straddling his waist. Rachel leaned on the railing to squint at them.

"Yeah, that's definitely him and they're ramping up quickly. We need to get him before that goes somewhere."

Diego took longer strides as he headed toward his brother, making Rachel jog to keep up.

"Maybe he is so drugged up he can't feel anything," Diego suggested, going back to their previous conversation.

"I suppose I haven't been around anyone like that, it's true…Even Klaus hasn't come in that gone before…"

As they arrived within hearing distance, Rachel regretted it immediately. The girl with Klaus smiled at him, eyes only on him. Her black hair was pulled up into a bun with a flower stuck in it.

"Yes, you are, Daddy," the girl told Klaus.

"Oh…hey! Oh…" Klaus could barely respond as she began kissing his neck and cheeks, anywhere she could get to really," Okay."

She was practically climbing on top of him. Rachel was impressed the girl's glasses stayed on her face with how vigorously she was with his ear. Diego glanced back at Rachel, a question in his emotions. Rachel shook her head at him.

"I'm not interrupting that. You do it."

Diego shrugged, amused.

"Hey, Daddy. You got a sec?"

"Diego!"

Klaus looked up at Diego in surprise. The two had stopped their kissing to look at the two new arrivals.

"Rachel," Klaus gasped at her in surprise.

His old friend gave him an odd look.

"Sorry to interrupt," she grinned.

"Come on, we gotta go," Diego insisted.

Klaus turned to the girl, sliding out from under her.

"Yeah. I'll be right back."

"Okay."

"I promise."

As Klaus stood up, Diego grabbed him around the arm and led him away. Rachel waved to the girl as she followed them. She seemed very nice. Very into Klaus. Oddly too devout, but nice. Too bad he would not be keeping that promise. As they headed back up the stairs and reached the open grassy space just outside the mansion, Diego looked back at his brother.

"You need to come with us."

"Where?"

A woman passed by bowing saying "Prophet" a few times. Their group brushed past it with a glance.

"Five found a way home."

Klaus giggled.

"It's so great to talk to you again, Diego. And you, too, Rachel. Especially you, it seems like it's been forever."

"You hear what I just said?" Diego questioned as Rachel raised an eyebrow at Klaus.

"Yeah."

He was looking intently at the two of them, which was not Klaus's usual look.

"Are you high, Klaus?" Diego questioned.

"No, I'm not Klaus."

The three of them stopped. Klaus looked serious for once.

"I'm Ben."

Diego made a face and stepped toward his brother.

"You _are _high."

Rachel stared at Klaus. She wondered if that was why she felt nothing from him. Why should her power be able to tell the feelings of the dead? Did the dead have feelings? That also could explain the weird glitch in emotions she had felt at the dinner.

"Oh, well this is starting to make sense," Rachel muttered, tapping her chin.

Diego looked at her.

"Stop it, he's _high_. Not Ben. Look, I don't have time for this."

"I can prove it."

They all stopped again. Klaus/Ben earnestly nodded his head at Diego.

"Ask me something only Ben would know."

Diego glanced at Rachel, thinking quickly.

"Okay. When we were little, what did you reprogram Allison's Teddy Ruxpin to say?"

There was a hesitation before Klaus/Ben responded.

"Luther sniffs Dad's underwear," he sang.

Diego's face said it all. It had to be Ben. Ben in Klaus's body laughed as Diego put his hands up to his face. Rachel's face broke out in a smile.

"Holy shit."

"It's really you?!"

Diego pulled his brother into a tight hug. Rachel stepped back as they hugged, giving them a moment.

"I don't get it, I mean…"

They separated and Diego examined his brother.

"Klaus said you didn't make it to Dallas."

"Well, Klaus says a lot of things, but guess what? I can possess him now and it's freakin' awesome."

Diego held his brother's face in his hands.

"Okay, you can tell me all about it on the way back to 2019, okay?"

Ben reached out and grabbed Rachel's hand, giving it a squeeze as they continued on their way to the mansion.

"What about Destiny's Children? We can't just leave them. I mean, Klaus should be the one to tell them-"

Diego shook his finger at him.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, okay? You stay in this body. We need someone responsible behind the wheel, okay?"

Ben nodded, sighing.

"All right, Diego. Will you wait? I just need, like, ten minutes. Ten minutes."

Diego looked at his watch as they paused again.

"Actually, there's something I need to do first. Meet me in the alley behind Elliott's in 30 minutes, okay?"

Diego pointed a finger at his brother's chest.

"Do not be late."

"I won't. I won't."

Diego grabbed his face.

"Good to see you, brother."

"You, too."

As Diego moved off, Rachel followed after him.

"It was great, seeing you again, Ben. We'll need to-"

"Wait, Rachel."

Ben took her wrist and pulled her into a tight hug. She hugged him back, patting his back. As he pulled away, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her.

"That thing I wanted to tell you…do you remember?"

Rachel gave him a sad smile and put her hands on his.

"Yeah…I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise…"

"It wasn't your fault but…I was just going to tell you that I liked you."

The girl froze, not expecting him to say that. The moment was also made stranger by the fact that she was looking at Klaus's face.

"O-oh…uh…wow, Ben…thank you…uh."

Ben gave a soft laugh.

"Sorry to tell you that out of nowhere now but…its been on my mind. I heard everything that happened with you and Five and I'm really happy for you both. Seriously. It was a long time ago. I just…needed to say it."

The two looked at each other before Rachel gave him another quick hug.

"Thanks for telling me. I'm sorry I disappeared on you like that. I need to catch up to Diego, but we can talk more later, okay?"

"Yeah, okay! Bye!"

Rachel made it to the car just as Diego was about to pull out. She smacked the van, making him stop. She gave him a hurt expression.

"You were going to leave without me?"

"Sorry, thought you'd go with Ben since you were taking a minute."

The girl opened the car door and jumped into the passenger seat.

"Not forgiven. Elliott did a lot for us; I'd like to see him buried. Let's go."

The two drove to a vacant field nearby Morty's but also far enough that people would not come by to see what they were doing. Diego began digging a hole for Elliott, whose body he dragged out to be beside the hole on top of a wheelbarrow he found in the truck. While Rachel stood watching Diego dig, her lips pursed.

"Lila's making her way here."

Diego did not pause in his digging, but he sighed heavily.

"Just great…How is she feeling?"

"Mmm…hopeful…worried…happy…unsure."

"A mess as usual, then."

It was a few more minutes before she appeared, but she came through the field dressed from head to toe in black, except for her red shoes.

"She's here," Rachel quietly told Diego when the woman was within hearing.

"Oh, good," he said loudly, angrily digging his shovel into the dirt," It's you and your stupid face."

She glanced around at them.

"Weird time to garden. Can we talk? The truth this time. Rachel, could Diego and I have a moment?"

"Oh, I know the truth. Anything you need to say, can be said in front of Rachel. Because I trust her to know the truth. You used me, Lila. You're a liar."

Lila hesitated, displeased with Rachel listening in, but began circling around the hole Diego had created so far.

"Oh, come on. What did I really lie about?"

"Who you are, who you work for, why you're here, what you want from us. That's all."

"Yeah, but the rest was true."

Diego glanced at Rachel as he kept digging. She shrugged at him. Lila was honest at the moment.

"Everyone lies, Deigo, and…and I was only lying to protect you."

Those words made him stop digging and glare at her. Even Rachel shook her head.

"Mostly," she amended.

The former couple stepped up to each other.

"Do you know how hard it is to trust people when your whole childhood was bullshit manipulation?"

Lila nodded awkwardly.

"Uh-huh."

She did. Rachel was not surprised, now knowing the Handler raised her.

"Then why would you do that to me?"

Lila had no answer for him. After a moment, Diego started digging again.

"Tell you what, I'm gonna finish this hole…save the world, and forget we ever met."

The devastation at his words was clear enough for Rachel to read from the woman. She shifted her weight to her other leg as Lila turned to look at the covered body.

"Wait, is that…is that dentist—chair guy?"

"Elliott," Diego said, "Your Swedish buddies got him."

Lila looked at Rachel, pointing at the covering. Rachel nodded, meandering off toward the truck. Lily glanced underneath before cursing.

"I liked that shit-muppet."

Rachel noted that the girl filled with a sense of inspiration as she grabbed a flask from the back of her waistband.

"Well, here's to Elliott, I guess. Um…I'll miss his crazy theories…"

She turned to Diego and whispered something to him. Rachel paused and watched as Lila hopefully held out her flask to him. He took it from her before tossing it off to the side of the dirt. Rachel noticed Lila's victorious feeling, causing her to move forward. As she did, Diego's feelings wavered. She watched as he stumbled before falling into the dirt unconscious. Lila spit out liquid she had clearly been holding in her mouth.

"You drugged him?!" Rachel shouted, running at her.

"Yup."

Lila grasped Rachel's arms as they wrapped around to choke her. Turning, she flipped Rachel into the dirt. The girl rolled and scrambled to her feet. She launched herself at Lila's midsection, tackling them both to the ground. Lila tried to kick the girl off, but Rachel got the upper hand with her hands around her throat.

"Since Five wasn't able to kill you, guess that job falls on me," she hissed into Lila's face.

She froze as she felt sharp metal against her abdomen. Lila had hidden a knife in her boot. Rachel cursed and glared down at the girl, releasing her throat.

"Ah, ah! I have a proposition for you."

Lila urged the girl off her and up to a standing position for the both of them. Rachel rubbed dirt off her face, upset with the girl before her.

"I'm done with propositions from the Commission."

"You'll take that back if you want Five to live."

The two women watched each other before Rachel crossed her arms. She knew the woman would kill Five without remorse.

"Talk quickly then."

Lila spread her arms.

"I'm the Commissions new Head of Security."

Rachel rolled her eyes, scoffing at the news.

"Oh, good. Nepotism at its finest. So what?"

"Mother's letting me pick my own security team."

The girl could not help herself. She started to laugh.

"Honey…your mom made a deal to not involve me or Five in the Commission anymore."

"Well, I didn't make that deal. And I like you! Really, Rachel, it could be great! We had a girl's shopping trip that was fun! Admit it! We both enjoy making fun of Diego! This could be the start of a great friendship."

"By coercion? Is this how you start all your friendships?"

Lila shrugged at her, causing the girl to stare at her. The feeling was clear.

"You have no friends. Of course…"

Lila smiled at Rachel and leaned down to her level.

"Look. I want my boyfriend-"

"Ex-boyfriend."

"-on my team with me and I want my favorite gal pal. My potential new bestie! You can even bring Five to the Commission. He'd have to live at home constantly and only goes out on walks with you, but you can keep him."

Rachel shook her head at the girl.

"You are aware boyfriends aren't pets, right?"

She was beginning to realize that, with the Handler as a mother figure, this girl's childhood meant she could be considered mentally unstable. Rachel glanced at Diego, still unconscious on the ground, then back to Lila. She had to think this through. If she refused, Lila would hunt Five down immediately and kill him. Or at least try to. The other Hargreeve's siblings might not survive that kind of encounter. If Lila got killed, the Handler would certainly come back and be involved. With the entire Commission behind her, no less. She figured this was her turn to do what Five would and go along with the ruse until she found her opening. She also felt that leaving Diego alone with Lila could be dangerous for several reasons.

"If you swear to leave Five and the other Hargreeves alone…I'll go with you. No fuss and I'll help you lug Diego along."

Rachel scoffed as Lila gave her a tight hug. The girl radiated joy. Lila had a lot of issues, but Rachel had a feeling if she played the long game correctly, she could work her to a different side. But she would need inside help.

Lila grabbed at Diego's ankles and started tugging him. As Rachel moved around toward Diego's head, she glanced in the direction of Morty's. If only they were close enough to communicate.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it, Five," she whispered to the wind.

After helping Lila tug Diego's body to where her stashed briefcase waited, the three were whisked away to the Commission.


	34. Chapter 33

Rachel was at least glad they did not have to carry Diego's limp body through the Commission. Landing right in the Handler's new office was a small convenience, especially considering the Handler's response to their arrive. Apparently, she had not been expecting them.

"Rachel! You missed my company so badly that you had my daughter bring you back?" she quipped.

The girl waved a casual hand. The Handler was once again a blonde and she wore a purple dress with gold trim that screamed dictator. She was more worried about Rachel's presence than she wanted to let on.

"Yes, because I love going places without Five. You clearly taught her well in the ways of blackmail."

The Handler shrugged her shoulders saucily, but Rachel could sense the woman's displeasure. Apparently, she and Diego were not who she was thinking Lila would recruit for security. Lila wrestled his body into a chair as he began to come to consciousness.

"Lila, darling, why have you brought a dirty hobo along with you?"

"Diego Hargreeves," Lila announced, taking a seat in front of her mother's desk.

Rachel stood behind him as he sat upright. He first turned to see Lila who was staring straight into the Handler's eyes.

"Meet my mother. Mother, this is Diego. My boyfriend."

Diego put his hands on the desk, confused.

"What?"

He glanced behind him at Rachel who just put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, instilling him with a reassuring feeling. On the opposite side of that, the Handler was shoving down severe irritation with her daughter and failing.

"Are you kidding me?" she demanded of her child.

"Don't approve of her taste in men?" Rachel mused.

That got her a nasty look from the Handler. Lila smirked at her mother.

"You said I could hire my own team."

"Yes, but I didn't mean him or her, for God's sake. If you don't see the problem with hiring you-know-who's brother and girlfriend, then you're not ready for that badge."

Diego spoke up at that moment.

"Look, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I really need to get going."

"Shut up!" both mother and daughter shouted at him.

"I can't do this job if you don't trust my instincts," Lila continued.

"Sweetheart, your vagina needs glasses. He is not worth it. And _she_ is a problem waiting to happen."

Rachel fake smiled at the woman.

"Mum!" Lila protested," Oh, my God. This may shock you, but not everyone here likes you."

"Sounds ridiculous but go on."

Rachel cocked an eyebrow. The woman fully believed everyone did. She was farther gone into crazy than her daughter could ever pull off. Rachel glanced at Lila, seeing she may need help. She carefully kept her face in check as she began sending reasonable feelings to the Handler.

"You need fresh blood loyal to us and not the old regime. I've seen Diego in the field. He is so much better trained than most of the assholes here. Why waste that when we can use it? He'll be my personal responsibility. Now, Rachel is incredibly good, even you know that. Her stealth oriented skills as well as intel gathering mastery can help us weed out dissenters. With her here helping the new regime while having been a part of the old one, she'll convince those on the fence to jump into your side of the yard."

The Handler seriously considered Lila's views. She seemed to see reason in them as she looked over at Diego and Rachel, who both smiled at her. Pulling out a cigarette, she looked at Diego.

"You know, your brother Five and I…we have quite…a colorful history. Rachel as well, but…_your brother_…"

Diego gave her an intense look.

"My brother has beef with everybody, me included."

"Let me ask you something. When you're looking down the barrel of a gun, where do your loyalties lie, with your family or your principles?"

"With me. I don't belong to anybody."

He looked over at his ex.

"Especially Lila."

With that phrase, he was in. Pleasure radiated from her.

"Well, that I can work with. Run him through orientation, fill out his start paperwork. But…if he ruffles even one feather, you will kill him yourself. Understood?"

"Thanks, Mum," Lila smiled, excited that her plan worked.

The Handler's eyes turned toward Rachel, who looked at her questioningly.

"Now you… my daughter blackmailed you, hm?"

"With the lives and safety of Five and Diego's siblings. Yes."

The Handler gave her daughter a pleading look.

"It had to be her?"

Lila got up and pulled Rachel into a side hug.

"She's my best friend."

"Oh, Jesus…" Rachel muttered under her breath.

The Handler rolled her eyes and stared at Rachel.

"If you try something, I will kill you, Five, and your entire brood myself," she told the girl, exhausted from her daughter's choices, "Capisce?"

"Understood," she agreed, stepping out from behind Diego's chair," So…any first jobs for me since I don't need to go through orientation again?"

The Handler hesitated for a moment before pulling out a glass jar full of tacks. Rachel, Lila, and Diego all frowned.

"These were on my chair when I first came in here…before you all arrived. My beautiful suit now has holes in it. I need you to find the fool who thought putting these on my chair would be…cute."

Rachel had to do her best to keep from smiling.

"Any leads for me on this…Tack-full Bandit?"

Lila snorted very loudly in amusement before covering her mouth from her mother. The Handler's face fell into a deadpan.

"Unfortunately, no. Use your special skills to hunt down the little fox and deal with it. You, too, Lila."

The females nodded.

"How _tack-full _of them to not leave a trail," Lila commented.

This time both Rachel and Diego laughed, making the Handler smack her hands on her desk.

"Oh for- Dismissed! Out!"

The three scurried out of the room with Rachel grabbing the jar of tacks as she left. She rattled it around, making a clinking sound as they walked through the halls.

"Gee, I feel so important with this job," Rachel commented.

She stopped as Lila turned to her and Diego.

"I'm going to take Diego to orientation. Meet me in ten minutes at the lounge."

Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"You expect to find the culprit at the bar?"

Lila smiled.

"No, I expect to find a drink at the bar. With you. We'll deal with the prankster after Diego finishes orientation."

Rachel shrugged.

"Ten minutes it is."

She watched as Lila and Diego disappeared down the hall. Rachel glanced around.

"Ten minutes…hmmm."

Turning, she made a beeline for a particular office. Practically going down to the building's dungeon, she found just the person she was looking for in the hallway. They were best bet for someone who would not be excited about the Handler's rise to power. They also happened to be a friend.

"Herb!" she said cheerfully.

The short man jumped, having been moving in the opposite direction. While she was an adult, she had towered over him easily. Now, she was just slightly above his height. His black framed glasses shook as his heart rate went back to normal.

"Uhm…do I-?" he questioned.

"It's Rachel. You know Five accidentally made us small, right?"

His eyes showed recognition.

"Oh! Rachel! Wait, you…you're working here again?"

The girl nodded slowly.

"Mmm…yes, I'm quite surprised at the turn of events myself. Even my brother-in-law is here. You know…what with the Handler being the boss now, things seem pretty crazy. I wonder if everyone is on board or if…some are pins and needles…"

Herb's eyes flicked away from her and down toward the tacks that she was once again swirling in her hand. She grinned as a guilty feeling swept into his emotions. Just as she had guessed. Spinning him to go in the direction he was moving previously, she put an arm around his shoulder. Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper.

"So, say that one was looking to…not…be under the thumb of a dictator…what might one do?"

"O-Oh!" Herb whispered back, suddenly on board, "History proves…rebellions are common…"

Rachel grinned.

"A great point. You know…I would love to recruit more people for Lila, but I don't know where to meet them, Herb. Maybe you could…give me a hint?"

Herb patted his pockets before pulling out a notepad and scribbling on it. He then ripped it out and handed it to her. She glanced down to see "Basement, 3pm." Nodding, she ripped up the paper and handed it back to Herb.

"I see. Thank you for your advice, Herb. I have a meeting to get to, but I'll see you around."

She gave him a pat on the back before hustling off to the lounge. She arrived after Lila who was just getting her drink handed to her. As Rachel sat down, she called out for a Transfusion. Lila grinned at her.

"Do some tactful questioning?" she mused.

Rachel set the jar down between them.

"Not enough, it seems. How was putting our little boy in school?"

"Oh, he cried to be parted from me, but…I think he'll be okay. They grow up so fast after all…"

Rachel grinned as the girl sipped her Black Russian. Lila carefully put her drink down.

"Look…I know I wasn't very subtle about the way I got you here…but I'm not stupid. With my mother in charge…things are…"

Rachel tilted her head.

"Complicated? Dangerous?"

She thanked the bartender as he dropped off her drink. Lila leaned her elbow on the bar.

"You know I'm being honest about liking Diego and you. Your file said you read feelings or something."

Rachel raised her eyebrows, sipping her drink.

"Yeah, something like that. Wait, you read my file?"

The girl gave her an apologetic smile.

"I had to know who I was hiring. You're rather impressive actually. Despite your ability to kill, and…those kills were…outstanding, your trickery is beyond anything the Commission has been able to train recruits on."

Rachel stuck her tongue in her cheek, the alcohol tasting oddly bitter all of a sudden.

"I don't like to consider it trickery. I wasn't a great fighter as a kid…I got into a lot of…dangerous situations and always got bailed out. Usually by Five removing me from the scene. I learned to act…I learned to pickpocket."

"Ooh, I like that skill."

Rachel grinned, sure that she did.

"Look, what about you? Maybe I'll feel less hostile if you tell me about you?"

Lila sighed and tapped the bar.

"Well…I was born Lila Pitts of East London. My parents were killed when I was four in a robbery…and then the Handler took me in. Raised me, trained me."

She felt a lot of pain from her past. Rachel hesitated before putting a hand on Lila's.

"I'm sorry."

The woman's eyes were holding back tears, but she blinked a few times before pulling her hand away and picking up her drink.

"Aside from mother coercing me to do anything she wanted, it wasn't all bad," she responded with a grin," How about your parents?"

Rachel took a sip from her drink and nodded.

"We were a happy family with irregular problems. My father gave me my powers through a serum. Synthetically made powers, unlike everyone else in the academy being born with them. He felt guilty his entire life. I could feel it. He regretted what he did to me and felt there was no way he could ever make it up to me. He spoiled me. Let me have anything I wanted. Doted on me. I know that seems great but…it was suffocating. I felt like a reminder of his…biggest failure. It was a relief to be with Diego and his siblings for so many hours of the day…just to get away from it. I loved him, don't get me wrong…but…ugh, the vodka in this is strong."

Lila watched her for a moment as Rachel's mind wandered off.

"But what?"

Rachel glanced at her.

"_But_ I don't know if it was love that he had for me. I didn't feel it…just guilt. My mom loved me. She was great. We talked about everything. In fact, she bet on who I would get a crush on at the Academy."

Lila let out a soft laugh.

"Oh, yeah? Who was her vote?"

Rachel give Lila a side-look, smirking around her drink. Lila opened her mouth in surprise.

"Oh. Diego."

The girl raised her glass at the guess and drank again.

"Yeah, her vote was Diego. Yet he was the one I… dodged a rejection of…I felt so bad about that, but Diego says it's okay. I just feel bad he choreographed an entire dance to the Backstreet Boys. I really should have told him flat out then but…he was a close friend. I mean _is_…"

"Mmm…no wonder you two have such a strong bond now. You laid it all on the table now that you have Five."

Rachel nodded.

"Yeah. She never would have bet on Five. I don't think anyone would have. I guess it's just safer to never bet against him..."

Lila cooed and nudged at her shoulder.

"Ooooh, you _really_ love him."

"I've been with him for over thirty years, so of course I do. I wouldn't have come with you if I didn't…"

The air between them got awkward. Rachel waved her hand, almost trying to brush the feeling away.

"Look, I…I get it, Lila. The way you were brought up…it makes more sense now. I _loved_ having female friends when I was surrounded by males. And, growing up with the Handler there was probably a shortage of people your age. It would have just been nice to meet you in better circumstances. Admittedly, I'm glad you feel so strongly about Diego. He deserves love…he really does."

Lila leaned her head over the back of the chair as she slouched.

"Yeah, sure. If he ever believes I have feelings for him again. Wait, he'd believe it if you told him!"

Rachel shook her head.

"Or you could show him with your actions…Look, being honest with him was a good first step. Aside from the…drugging and dragging…"

Lila checked her watch.

"Speaking of Diego and drugging, his orientation is probably ending soon. Need to make sure I'm back before he wanders off."

Lila downed the rest of her drink and stood up.

"I'm sure he loved the orientation video. Wait, Lila, before you go…"

Lila stopped and raised her eyebrows at Rachel. The girl examined her face.

"Now that I get you a bit…I _do_ like you more. I just wish we met under better circumstances where you weren't threatening the man I love and our family. If I just walked into a bar and sat down by you, I think it would have been easy to walk out as friends."

"I feel like that was the beginning and the end of a good joke. I'll work on that. Meet you back here with Diego. He'll love this lounge."

Rachel watched the girl leave. She quickly finished off her drink and sighed. Examining the empty glass, she put it down on the counter.

"Yeah…he really would have if he wasn't in the opposite direction…"

The girl hopped off her barstool and moved toward a secret meeting she needed to be a part of. She was sure Diego would find his way there, anyway, as he was with Herb in the Infinite Switchboard Room. And if there was anything Rachel knew about Herb, he would love to show a Hargreeves sibling how cool he could be.


	35. Chapter 34

Rachel waited outside the door. She could hear hushed conversation from the eight people inside. Some she knew personally, some she did not. Knowing better than to walk into a meeting where no one knew she was a friend, she leaned by the door and waited as Diego and Herb made their way down to the basement. She was ready move, so it did not look like she was waiting, should anyone come by. Luckily, no one was really interested in visiting this part of the Commission. She did not have to wait a terribly long time before Diego and Herb appeared in the Hallway. She smiled and walked toward them.

"Hello, boys, about time."

Diego frowned at her.

"Where's Lila? I thought she'd be with you."

Rachel shook her head.

"No, she went to go and find you. Imagine how she'll feel when she realizes you ditched orientation."

Her friend narrowed his eyes at her.

"You've been spying on my location the entire time."

Rachel put a hand to her chest in mock surprise.

"I'm hurt that you thought I wouldn't. Please, bringing you here is like leaving a toddler in a room full of weapons. Not to be offensive, mind you, but something is bound to blow up if you are left unchecked."

Diego was going to reply, but Herb let out a soft chuckle.

"It was almost the Infinite Switchboard."

The girl raised her eyebrows and pointed at the man.

"See? Point proven."

Diego looked down at the short man.

"I thought we were friends, Herb."

The bespectacled male became flustered, but Rachel just urged them forward toward the meeting.

"So, did you learn anything from your adventure?"

"It's Vanya…again. She's being interrogated by government near where Kennedy's motorcade passes. She blows up the building and the president blames Russia."

Rachel sighed heavily, rubbing her temples.

"Why is it always poor Vanya?"

Herb nodded and shuffled ahead of them. Opening the door, he motioned them inside. Once the two were fully in, he closed the door while everyone else stood up to greet them. The room was small with a few pieces of furniture scattered across the space. A wooden table with chairs surrounding it was the main centerpiece to the room. On top of the table, was a lone briefcase, to Rachel's pleasure. Those around the table were all frequent workers in the building, none were assassins.

"You gotta be kidding me," Diego said to Herb, seeming to realize the same thing.

"I know we don't look like much, but we're resourceful."

Dot spoke up, her glasses glinting in the low light.

"Don't mess with case management."

"Stand down, Dot," Herb told her.

Rachel let out a soft smile and turned to Diego.

"They're right. If they undermine this place, it will sink faster than drilling a hole into the hull of a ship."

She felt pleasure and confidence ripple across the room from her words. Herb seemed to realize something.

"Oh! Everyone, this is Diego Hargreeves and some of you remember Rachel Truesdale."

There were a few murmurs around the room. A few people went over and gave Rachel hugs and handshakes since they knew her. That group consisted of Dot, Ann, and Rob. Herb ushered everyone over to the briefcase to discuss his idea.

"These two need to get back to the other Hargreeves to stop a doomsday from happening," he told the others, "I'll bring them there and then come back."

Rachel leaned against the table, looking around at everyone's faces.

"Problem is the Commission's new leader and head of security are going to try and find us and deal with us. You all should avoid being involved. We'll try and lay low, but you all have to make sure to undermine her authority a bit more actively. Someone here must have dirt on the Handler. The fish on her desk is AJ Carmichael, so maybe he knows something."

The group around her murmured their agreement. Rachel then turned to Herb.

"From now on avoid little misdemeanors like tacks on her seat. That serves no purpose other than aggravation. It was cute," Rachel patted Herb's shoulder," but you need to think bigger. Act the part, subtly tear things down, and only strike when you have something big."

The group of people nodded at her seriously. She noticed that they trusted her wholly due to her background as an assassin. She sighed; glad they were absorbing her words but also sad that her former criminal actions were instilling inspiration.

"And thank you," Diego told them all sincerely, "If it were under different circumstances, working here with you guys would probably be really cool."

Rachel smiled at them.

"I know he's right. Thank you all for everything. Sorry I can't stay and help, but our family needs us. Hopefully, we'll see you all again with better leadership."

Herb took the briefcase and began setting it. Diego and Rachel both put their hands on Herb's shoulders.

"Ready?" Herb asked, looking up at Diego.

Rachel was taken aback as the two did a practiced handshake.

"Boys…" she mumbled, smiling to herself.

The three of them disappeared from the Commission and appeared to the sound of shrieking. Rachel shook her head and glanced around. She recognized the place as Allison's house. Before them was Allison, looking like she was having a heart attack, Klaus sitting on the couch looking exhausted, and a handsome man that Rachel recognized from the pictures as Raymond, Allison's husband.

"Oh good," Diego noted," All right, you're both here. All right, we gotta go."

Rachel frowned at the rolled-up rug on the floor between Allison and Raymond. Blonde hair and the dead but familiar face of one of the Swedes peeked out at them.

"Diego, Jesus! Rachel?!"

Herb chuckled while Diego also seemed to notice the dead body.

"Wow. Number Two, Three, _and_ Four. We almost have an Umbrella straight flush here."

Allison looked over at her husband.

"Ray, this is my other brother, Diego, and my…sister-in-law, Rachel."

Diego moved over first and held his hand out to Raymond.

"Hey, man. Sorry to crash in here like this."

Raymond did not move his hand so much as Diego took it and shook it himself. Rachel stepped up after and did the same.

"You have a lovely home," she told him before the two strode back to communicate with Allison and Klaus.

Klaus, his brain trying to piece together what was happening before him, pointed at Herb.

"Hey, who is this guy?"

Diego glanced back quickly as he walked around the room toward Allison.

"Herb. He worked with Rachel and Five at the Commission."

Rachel put her hands on his shoulders.

"He's pretty great. Look at that smile!"

"The Commission?" Klaus asked, clearly not having been sober enough when Five and Rachel spoke about their lives as assassins.

Herb shrugged at him.

"We monitor and maintain the time-space continuum."

"Okay," Klaus responded, not wholly believing him.

Diego leaned toward him.

"No, for real. I was just there. It's awesome."

He then turned to his sister.

"Okay, I got to look at the timeline. I know what causes doomsday…It's Vanya."

Allison looked around at the three who had just materialized in her kitchen with concern.

"Wait, what? How?"

Klaus got up from the couch and joined the other three by the entrance to the living room.

"She's gonna blow up the federal building at Dealey Plaza just as the president's passing through in less than an hour. We gotta find her and stop her, now."

Allison and Klaus did not seem to understand what he was saying.

"Wait, Vanya kills the president?"

Diego shook his head.

"No, no, no. See, the explosion causes the motorcade to drive off. Kennedy lives. Everybody thinks Russia's behind it, including the president. He strikes back, they strike back. Before you know it, it's raining nukes."

Allison and Klaus did not respond to the news well, but the one who took it the worst was Raymond. The man practically wheezed from his corner. Rachel gave him a sympathetic look as Allison went to console her husband.

"Ray? Ray, baby. Are…are you okay? Okay."

Raymond's panic kicked up as Allison rubbed his arm.

"No, I'm not okay," he started, the others in the room only able to watch the two of them, "First of all, this son of a bitch beams into our living room with yet another one of your brothers, and he's talking about stopping one of your sisters from blowing up some buildings, and I got a dead man wrapped up in my best rug, babe."

Klaus smiled at the couple feeling all warm and fuzzy as Allison tried to calm him down.

"They're so sweet," Klaus commented.

Rachel raised one eyebrow at him.

"I guess, but he's on the verge of passing out…"

Herb spoke up at that moment, wanting to help.

"Uh, we can have that shampooed. We also provide body removal services."

Diego and Klaus looked from Herb to Rachel. She shrugged.

"Can't leave evidence of time assassins, right?" she commented, stepping out into Allison's hallway.

Rachel waved goodbye to Herb as Allison told Raymond she had to go. Herb waved back as Allison joined the group from 2019 and headed out the door toward Dealey Plaza.

Arriving at the building, Rachel glanced across the street and over. She sensed something that sent her heart into her throat. Luther was close by with two versions of Five, both with murderous feelings. It was Rachel's first time sensing her own feelings, but the version of her sent to assassinate Kennedy in 1963 was there with them, conflicted. As she stood there, her other self noticed her presence. Rachel scratched at her arm before cursing.

"Stage Two already. Damn it…"

Allison and Klaus went inside the government building while Diego paused at the door.

"Rachel, we have to go get Vanya. Hurry up."

The girl looked back at Diego, torn. Five cared most about stopping doomsday and getting his family home, that was why he had taken the risk of getting to his previous self. If they stopped Vanya, then they would stop the end of the world. What Five wanted would be achieved. But if Five and Rachel's previous selves killed Five...The girl shook her head. She knew Five would be angry if she went to him. After all, in a previous timeline…this was where she died.

Rachel looked over at Diego. His eyes were wide and confused, not understanding her hesitation.

"You three can handle it. I can't stop Vanya's feelings when they're this strong, but you three can. And…Five might need me right now."

"What? What do you-"

The blonde ran back to Diego and threw herself at him in a hug, squeezing tightly. He hugged her back confused.

"If something happens to me, tell everyone that I love you guys. And for Five…tell him I'm sorry, but I had to follow my feelings."

Diego pushed her away from him, gripping her arms.

"Wait, is this when you-?"

"I have to go, Diego. Save Vanya. Good luck."

"Rachel!"

The girl tore out of his arms and tore across the street, heading for a place she would always remember. The parking lot where Five and Rachel had gone back to 2019.


	36. Chapter 35

It was awkward at the table. The pub's patrons did not bother with the odd sight of what looked like a 58-year-old grandmother sitting across from her 13-year-old grandson, both nursing glasses of beer. Luther had gone off to check on Five's older looking self, who was technically younger, as he was taking a while in the bathroom. Rachel watched calmly as the young Five before her scratched and sweated.

"I have to ask…" she started.

Five watched her. He remembered he had liked the mint green pencil dress she had chosen for that day, never expecting to see it on her like this again. He found it very conflicting to be attracted to the woman across from him while at the same time knowing she was not exactly his Rachel.

"Where is Dolores?"

The boy sighed and took a drink before farting, looking away to try and ignore that he did.

"Back where she belongs…in 2019."

The woman nodded, strands of her white hair brushing across her face.

"You two…break up?"

Five's eyes met hers. He knew his girl well enough to see hope in her eyes. He gave a small smile.

"You could say that. I just made the right choice. Finally."

The middle-aged woman nodded and tapped the table. She was disconcerted by the feelings she felt from the boy across the table. It was love, both aimed toward her, but also not. His feelings were not so monitored like her Five's when he knew she was using her powers on the job. She began to wonder what had happened in fourteen days to adjust his feelings to being so open.

"Okay…so…where is the younger me at this moment? Clearly not here or I'd be as soaked as you are."

Five shook his head and glanced out the windows toward the street, sweat dripping into his eyes.

"I wish I knew. I made the stupid decision of trusting her to be okay with Diego…_Clearly_ a mistake. I'll find her, though. The Umbrella Academy, while very good at causing problems, tends to come back together when needed. The fact that you aren't going through any sign of paradox psychosis tells me she isn't in 1963. At least, not in Dallas. That means she is somehow further away, with the Commission, or…well. I'm not going to entertain that idea without concrete proof. At least I know she can track me down. As long as she doesn't run into you, she'll hopefully be fine."

Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Five glanced behind her, noticing Luther and his alternate self coming back to the table. He lowered his voice and leaned toward her.

"In a former timeline, _you_ killed her. Which is why I get the feeling that _your_ Five wants to kill _me_. I understand your loyalty to him, but I'd like to stay alive and find my Rachel."

As he pulled back from the men arriving, the woman scrutinized him carefully, thinking about his words. The older looking Five put a hand on Rachel's shoulder. She could sense paranoia radiating from him and a conviction to kill. She sighed.

"We good?" younger Five asked.

"We're good," Luther smiled, somewhat awkwardly.

"You got a deal," other Five agreed," We gotta hurry. Kennedy's en route. Less than an hour until showtime."

Five stood up, clearly suspicious. Acute paranoia was setting in for him hard. Rachel stood as the two Five's faced each other.

"Why are you so anxious to get going all of a sudden?" the younger looking Five asked.

"Relax. You're getting paranoid."

"Oh, am I?"

Rachel rolled her eyes as the two itched, sweated, and passed gas.

"Okay, let's roll," Luther suggested.

The group left the pub and headed toward the parking lot where they planned to complete the job for the Commission. Initially, Rachel walked behind the entire group, keeping an eye on both versions of Five. Her older version clearly already had murderous intent, the younger one not so much. Luther was torn, trying to figure out who he was more loyal to. After a while, Luther dropped back to the brother he came with and Rachel moved up to walk with her partner. The older couple walked ahead while the younger version and Luther walked quite a way behind.

"Why do you think you have to kill him?" Rachel asked, "Aside from the paradox psychosis. Or is it just that?"

Five glanced at her and rubbed at his mustache.

"I can fix the timeline better than he did. He didn't solve anything at all and, with Luther's help, we can fix things without looking like a child again. I have to do it before he chooses to kill me."

Rachel hummed at his words.

"I see…because having another life to spend with me would be too much…"

Five threw her an irritated look.

"You know this isn't about us. We lived through a lot, but to go through growing up again…_ugh_. Disgusting."

Rachel took out her handkerchief and dabbed at Five's drenched face.

"He knows you want to kill him. Your murderous intent is on full display."

"Stop reading my feelings! We had a deal. You know how I feel about that."

"Then tone it down, you old coot."

The man sucked his teeth in at her but did not say anything more. As they reached the parking lot, Rachel stopped. She felt something unusual in the area.

"Oh, dear…" she sighed, glancing back at the younger version of Five.

Her other self was close.

"You two quit grab-assing. We're here," the older looking Five announced.

As he set up his sniper rifle at the fence, Rachel closed her eyes. The other Rachel was moving closer. She caught herself itching her wrist and wished she had used the restroom back at the pub.

A distance away, a younger looking Rachel hesitated as she ran. She shook her head. She was already thinking to herself what to do if her older self wanted to kill her. Like both versions of Five wanted to at the moment. She wiped sweat off her brow as she started running again. She picked up her pace as she felt the two Five's begin to try and kill each other. Rachel could see the parking lot in the distance. She wanted to shut down her emotions, but she could not bring herself to do it. _She can still sense me. I need to know if she wants to kill me. _As she got closer, her older self came into view. She was staring right at her as Luther turned a familiar sniper rifle on the smaller Five.

"No!" Rachel screamed, running up," Luther! Are you crazy?"

Both Five's looked at her in shock, but the smaller one got up to his feet.

"Rachel, no! You need to get out of here."

Luther took that moment to knock out the older Five.

"FIVE!" shouted the older Rachel, pulling a gun out of her back pocket and pointing it at Luther.

The big man held his hands up.

"I don't want to kill him!" he told her, "We just want to send you guys to 2019 and get the briefcase."

Rachel looked at her former self. The two of them amplified their paradox psychosis from being so close. It was causing both of them to squint from something akin to a migraine.

"Hey, me! You know we'd never let anyone kill Five. I wouldn't let your version get hurt either, okay?"

The other Rachel looked at her and turned the gun on her. The two were now watching one another. Rachel, still staring at her white-haired self, sent Luther and Five a feeling of urgency. She had to push past Five's strong desire to help her. She could not hear their words over the sound of blood rushing through her ears, making her feel lightheaded. She vaguely noticed Five open a portal.

"Things will be so much better soon," Rachel told her other self, sending her calm feelings, "You have no idea."

"You might be saying that to get what you want. I can sense you wanting to kill me."

"But you can also sense that I don't. I'm unarmed and I won't approach."

The older Five was up again and moved behind the other Rachel to stand by the portal. The wind and electricity were so loud around the group. He was shouting at Luther and Five, but Rachel knew if she stopped focusing her power on Rachel, she could die. Both Rachels were resisting the paradox psychosis and they both knew it, but only one knew she could influence the other.

"We've always been more emotionally stable than Five," the older woman shouted, having to raise her voice to be heard over the portal behind her.

The smaller girl let out a short laugh.

"Absolutely. So please…just step backward into the portal. I'm begging you."

She was relieved as the older woman took a step back. It was in that moment that the older Five lunged for the briefcase.

"Shit!" Rachel cursed.

Glancing around, the Rachel by the portal turned only to see Five come flying at her after a kick from Luther. That Rachel lost hold of the gun from the impact and the older couple went careening into the portal that closed immediately, slicing the briefcase in half.

"We did it!" Luther shouted.

Five sighed heavily in the quiet.

"The briefcase, you idiot," he pointed out, the damaged equipment sparking.

Luther's smile fell from his face. Five turned and looked at Rachel before freezing in place. His partner was on her knees, clutching her left side near her heart as blood flowed through her fingers.

"No, no, no, no, no," he hissed, running over to her.

He kneeled and lifted her head to look at him.

"When? How?"

"She…accidentally…shot me. When older you…crashed into her."

Five cursed, turning and giving Luther a murderous glare. The big guy just looked at her dumbfounded.

"I did this?" he whispered.

Rachel hissed as she tried to move her hand to see how close the bullet was to her heart. She could not see anything as blood soaked through the shirt and jacket, making it all even darker than the black it already was. Her eyesight was dimming.

"No, it…Fi…" the words died in her throat as the world went dark.

Five panicked as Rachel fell forward onto him before rolling to the side. He caught her head before she hit the pavement. Gunshots rang out from behind Luther and Five as the president was shot. People began running and screaming, but Five sat shocked in the parking lot trying to wake his partner, afraid he would never see her green eyes open again.


	37. Chapter 36

Rachel opened her eyes to no pain. Gasping, she sat up and looked around her. It was dusk, the sun seemingly setting above her giving the world just the darkest tint of blue. Rachel felt below her. She sat on a concrete bench. A very familiar concrete bench.

The girl actively looked around. The space around her was empty and silent as a crypt. The Umbrella Academy courtyard looked exactly as it had when she first arrived in 2019, only this time she was alone. Frowning, she moved toward the center of the courtyard. Before her was the statue of Ben she had only just encountered for the first time two weeks ago.

"Did I go back in time?" she questioned, putting a hand on the base of the statue.

She suddenly touched her chest where the wound was supposed to be. There was nothing. No hole in her jacket. Peeking under the shirt, she was whole, no blood. Releasing her clothes, she closed her eyes. She had just noticed something odd. She was no longer a teenager anymore. In fact, as she reached up and touched her hair, she found it longer as well. Glancing into the plaque, the reflection of a young woman stared back.

"Oh, please tell me this isn't-"

From behind the statue, in the gazebo, Rachel saw a shining light grow. Squinting, she approached. Two figures stood in the light that was now as big as the gazebo's opening. As she got closer, she heard a voice she desperately missed and only every heard in her most comforting dreams.

"Rachel, come home."

It was her mother and her father, reaching out to her. Tears blurred her vision.

"Mom…"

She picked up her pace.

"Rachel," her father's voice reached her, "It's time to go home."

"Mom! Dad!"

She was almost to them when she was suddenly jerked back by her wrist. She turned and the force sent her crashing into someone's chest.

"Stop, Rachel! Don't go yet."

The girl looked up into the face of an Asian man. She stepped away, not knowing him. He was relatively tall with pitch dark hair. He wore black from head to toe. The man smiled at her sheepishly.

"Sorry, I…didn't mean to startle you…So, this is what you looked like grown up. You look like your mother."

Rachel frowned at the man. There was something familiar in the shy smile. She looked into his eyes.

"Wait…Ben? Oh, no, I really am-"

The rest of the words caught in her throat, making her squat down to the ground. Thinking back, she recalled the feeling of cold settling into her body. All her memories careening before her eyes. Five's terror-stricken face as she covered her bullet wound. Tears streamed down her face even harder.

"I don't want this," she whispered, "No, not yet. I'm not ready. I don't want to leave him. I can't…I don't…I've lived but…but…"

She cried as strong arms wrapped her in an embrace. Ben patted her back as she cried.

"I know…its frightening. I didn't expect to find you here, but I'm glad I did."

Rachel looked up at her old friend, trying to brush tears away.

"You're glad?" she asked, accusingly.

Ben smiled and helped her clean up her face with his sleeve.

"Yes. Because I can tell you not to go into the light. You're not yet where I was, Rachel. You have a crossroads. That is what this is. I spent…years stuck with Klaus in-between. A purgatory of sorts. You…this isn't your purgatory. I was heading toward the light when I noticed you. You have the choice not to go yet. This is just a matter of your will."

Rachel glanced back at the light. Her parents still stood smiling at her, their soft voices calling to her. She turned back to look at Ben.

"Wait, why are you leaving? I thought you just found out how to possess Klaus."

He looked at her apologetically, helping her to her feet.

"I gave up my connection to the world to help Vanya. Like her, you still have a place back there. The Umbrella Academy needs you. I've seen that Five needs you. I mean, he really totters the edge of crazy and sanity purely because of you."

Rachel let out a soft laugh, causing Ben's face to show relief. Ben leaned against the statue of himself in his youth.

"Really, Rachel. Just don't give up yet. I can't tell you what to do, but if you aren't ready…go back. You have the option I didn't. Klaus gave me an out, but don't do that. I will find a way to haunt him from beyond the light if he puts you through what I put up with. I'm not saying the light won't be worth it, in time. But…if you want to live more with Five…you have to put off seeing your parents."

They both looked over at the light, at the two figures waiting. Rachel sighed.

"I miss them…its my fault they died."

Ben shook his head and turned her face to his.

"No. Their death was their fault. They chose death. You didn't. Haven't. And don't need to."

Rachel looked up at Ben. After a moment, she put her hands on his face, tears welling up again.

"I never got to say goodbye. I never got to tell you how much your friendship meant to me. I just came to terms with being able to talk to you again, even if you looked like Klaus and you're just leaving again right after making me feel guilty about you having feelings for me all those years ago. It's not fair, Ben."

Ben put his hands on hers.

"I didn't tell you that to make you feel guilty, Rachel. When you die…there is a lot that gets left unsaid. Things that you wanted to share in your life. It was selfish of me to say that to you all of a sudden, but…I needed to. I saw the chance and said it. I didn't know we'd be here right now. I'm sorry this has to be the last time we talk, but that's only on this side."

Ben pointed to the light.

"Years from now, when you have lived out that wonderful, complicated, crazy, painful, and worthwhile life back there…I'll be waiting for you with your parents. I'll be waiting for all of you, all of my family. I love all of you…even if it's goodbye for now. And even though I'm waiting, tell them to take their time. I'm hoping for just a little bit of peace and quiet."

The two laughed as they leaned their foreheads against each other. Ben closed his eyes.

"You were my best friend, you know. Your happiness…its mine, too. That is all I ever cared about, more than needing you to be by my side or having you return my feelings. I just wished for your happiness. Seeing you and Five…I was so glad. Relieved, really. I knew he could be a jerk, but the way he looks at you…Its beyond anything I could have wished for either of you. I don't want that to end yet, do you?"

Rachel shook her head against his.

"No…I don't."

Ben smiled and leaned away.

"Then choose the Academy," he told her, nodding toward the courtyard door," Look after them all for me…okay?"

Rachel nodded.

"I will."

The two watched each other, trying to burn the memory into their minds. Rachel's tears renewed. She threw her arms around him. He hugged her back tightly. After a minute, they parted.

"Goodbye, Ben…I'll miss you."

"Bye, Rachel. I'll miss you, too."

She turned away as he lifted his hand. She ran to the door of the Academy. With her hand on the doorknob, she glanced back to see Ben stepping into the portal. His body disappeared in what looked to her like blue stardust. Her fingers tightened around the doorknob as she turned it and stepped into the darkness before her.

"I'll see you again, my friend. Someday."

As darkness engulfed her, she felt as if were wading through thick grass, the darkness suffocating. Sounds reached her ears from all around her, at first unintelligible, and then louder still. She heard her name. Pain grew in her chest. She began to feel. There was fear, sadness, anger, concern, guilt, worry, and it all crashed into her.

Her eyes opened to a bright light in a room. She squinted, her eyes blurred from both the shock and grief that was taking over her. As she sat up, she groaned from a pain near her left shoulder. She was on a couch, her feet hitting the carpet as she set them down. Tears streamed down her face, dripping down her cheeks.

As Rachel tried to brush the salty liquid away, she looked around her at the faces of the living Hargreeves children, all suddenly silent and watching her. Directly in front of her face, sitting on the coffee table before her, was the man she loved, his blue eyes watching her with concern. She gave a pained smile, gently placing her right hand over her gunshot wound, finding her left one in a sling made from black cloth.

"I'm alive."


	38. Chapter 37

Five leaned forward and brushed away Rachel's tears with his thumbs.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" he asked, worry lacing his words," We have painkillers ready for you."

Rachel just nodded as Klaus scampered over with a glass of water and the medication. She took them as quickly as she could with one hand, Five assisting. Her tears finally dissipated enough for her to look around clearly. Everyone's eyes were on her. The girl sighed and looked forward at Five.

"I almost died."

Five threw a nasty look over at Luther.

"I'm highly aware of that."

Luther, who had been rubbing his neck, threw his hands up.

"I have been apologizing for hours! Rachel, really, I never thought-"

Five stood up and glared at his brother.

"That's the _problem_, isn't it?"

"ENOUGH!"

Allison stood between the two. She pointed her finger at the table, indicating for Five to sit back down. He glared at his sister for a moment more before sitting down, arms crossed. Luther filled with relief. Allison looked back at Rachel.

"As soon as you were stabilized, Five tried to kill Luther."

The boy scoffed.

"I wasn't going to kill him. Strangulation doesn't have to kill."

"Again. Rachel, I'm so, so sorry," Luther practically whimpered.

She just shook her head at the group.

"It's okay, Luther. You're forgiven. How did you all patch me up well enough that I could still be here though…?"

She had noticed that they had gotten her a new shirt and jacket along with patching her up. Klaus let out a huge breath of air before collapsing on the couch next to her. She protested as he jostled her, causing Diego to punch his brother for his insensitivity. Klaus cried out in pain and apologized. Five just watched the two with irritation. Rachel would have laughed if she was not in so much pain.

"Well, we saved Vanya, and, after the assassination, the ladies and I went outside to find Diego, Luther, and Five urgently getting you into the car we drove over in. We got you back here as fast as possible. Vanya, Diego, and I were then sent to go shopping while-"

"While Luther sat in a corner crying," Diego added.

Luther glared at him.

"Thank you _so much_ for telling her that…really."

Diego grinned.

"It's the only reason Five didn't ki…_strangle_ you immediately."

"_No_," Five cut in, "_I_ had to perform surgery, that's why. Allison's power may have helped me get the bullet out eas-"

"May have?" she cut in.

Five sighed.

"Alright, yes, Allison rumored me to get the bullet out without causing internal damage. The bullet was just high enough to the left that it missed your heart and luckily both your collarbone and shoulder joint. Anyway, I then stitched you up. Once the others got back with good bandages and a makeshift sling for your arm, it was time to punish Luther."

"Which I had to stop when Luther turned blue," Allison scolded.

Vanya leaned forward in the chair she was occupying.

"And around an hour later, here we are."

Rachel looked around at them, before rubbing her good arm on her thigh.

"Thank you. All of you. Honestly…I almost didn't come back."

They all watched her in confusion. She smiled slightly.

"I was going toward a light…my parents were there. I got stopped by Ben. He told me I still had a chance to come back. So, I did…and he went into the light saying it was…time, I guess. After saving Vanya."

Rachel's eyes met Vanya's. The woman nodded at her, agreeing with what she said.

"I already told everyone that I met with Ben. I got my memories back, too. I was trapped in my mind while being tortured. Ben helped me…get control. In the end, though, it meant he had to…cross over, I guess?"

Klaus groaned and got up.

"Ugh, this is _so_ heavy."

Klaus disappeared into Elliot's main bedroom. Diego put a gentle and on Rachel's good shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go check out the news. See what they're reporting on JFK. Glad you're still here, though."

He tapped her cheek with the top of his index finger before walking toward the staircase. Five reached out and took Rachel's hand in his.

"I'm glad you stayed," he told her quietly.

Leaning over, he kissed her. He was gentle, afraid of hurting her, but Rachel felt relief flowing through him more than anything else. She could sense Five's remaining siblings leaving, awkwardness flowing from them. As Five pulled away, they could hear the report on the television from downstairs.

"We should probably listen to that," he told her, squeezing her hand.

Rachel nodded, letting him help her to her feet. Using him as a slight crutch, they moved down the stairs. At the bottom, Rachel sat on the last stair while Five leaned his back against the railing. Vanya, Luther, and Diego stood around them while Allison leaned her arms a railing higher up the staircase.

"Authorities are asking for help identifying several persons of interest at Dealey Plaza at the time of the assassination. The FBI believes they may have been acting in concert with the alleged shooter, Lee Harvey Oswald. Vanya Hargreeves, wanted in connection with the deaths of several FBI agents inside the federal building at Dealey Plaza. A Cuban exile known only as Diego…"

"Cuban?" he mused.

"…who recently escaped from the Holbrook Sanitarium. A bare-knuckle boxer with suspected Mafia ties who fights under the alias 'King Kong.' Allison Chestnut, a Negro radical responsible for instigating and organizing the recent riots at Stadler's lunch counter. And finally, Klaus, the controversial cult leader and known tax evader."

The news had pictures of each person except for Klaus, whose picture was a painted portrait in a stain glass style. The news report continued.

"The FBI is asking the public to be on the lookout for this unidentified boy, and this unidentified girl, who they believe are being held hostage by the suspected terrorist network…"

They had quite an unflattering picture of Five that Rachel assumed was taken after she was shot and one of her as she ran away from Diego, making it look like he really had been trying to keep her kidnapped. She cringed as Five just nodded.

"Well, it's true. I do feel like I'm being held hostage most days."

"God, I hate that photo," Diego noted.

Rachel could sense Klaus heading their way at a slow pace. Allison was peeved.

"They're saying I instigated the riot? That's unbelievable."

Luther tried to be the voice of reason.

"Look, the good news is that we restored the timeline and we stopped doomsday. So-"

Diego scoffed.

"Yeah, a bunch of real goddamn heroes. Rachel almost died. We let Kennedy die."

"Yeah, and now we're officially the most wanted people in the word," Allison added," The FBI is after us, the Dallas police, the Secret Service. I mean, it's only a matter of time before they hunt us down here."

Vanya looked around at the group.

"Well, where are we supposed to go?"

Klaus raised a hand as he came down the stairs.

"I have this yurt just outside Reykjavik. We could totally lay low there. Folks there are a little weird, but lovely. Welcoming-"

"Hey, numbnuts," Five interrupted, "Hidings not gonna make a difference here."

He glanced over as Rachel moved to stand up again. He helped her up as he continued.

"The Commission will hunt us down wherever and whenever we go."

"He's right," Diego jumped in," They'll never stop."

Five looked at Diego in confusion.

"I'm sorry, since when are you an expert on the Commission?"

"Since I got back from there."

"What?"

The frown on Five's face deepened as he looked over at Rachel who cursed and tapped her head.

"I totally forgot to mention after dying…we got recruited. That's why we couldn't make it to the briefcase meeting."

Diego stepped up next to Rachel.

"Yeah, they headhunted me, offered me a job. Full time with benefits, which I had to turn down."

"They headhunted _you_…the village idiot," Five noted, skeptical.

"What, am I not allowed to be headhunted? Only the almighty Five needs to be in demand? Your girlfriend didn't even bat an eyelash at the idea!"

"My girlfriend is a social optimist, a people person, and will give anyone a chance. _Unlike_ the Commission. Diego, you're not Commission material, all right? Got an obstinate nature to ya."

Diego looked at Rachel, giving her a look that clearly asked, _Can you believe this guy?_ She just gave him a small smile.

"Who do you think it was that figured out Vanya was the one that causes doomsday and stopped it? Me. That's who."

The other Hargreeves rolled their eyes, making Rachel shake her head.

"Hey!" Klaus protested, knowing it was him and Ben who did the heavy lifting to save Vanya.

"I figured it all out on the Infinite Switchboard."

Five's amused expression changed to surprise.

"You were on the Infinite Switchboard?"

"Hell, yeah. I made that machine my _bitch_. Y'all need to recognize I got shit going on y'all don't even know about."

Five looked at Rachel for confirmation as the rest of his siblings erupted into arguments. Rachel just shrugged her good shoulder at Five, giving Diego the benefit of the doubt on this one. Sure, Herb had helped him with the Infinite Switchboard, but Diego never would have known about Vanya if he had not asked.

"Look," Diego shouted over his siblings," Rachel and I met the _Résistance_ in their secret lair. All right? I went through orientation and I passed and I stopped doomsday."

Rachel noticed a worried Vanya head upstairs. She did not worry about it too much as she looked back at Diego.

"You cut out of orientation after ten minutes."

He turned and pointed at her when Five laughed.

"Certain details aren't necessary. Calling me out? What were you doing in that time? Drinking!"

The girl's jaw dropped.

"Well, excuse me for gaining intel while also enjoying myself. I will remind you I found out about Herb's following on my own and met you two there. You ran around lost for a hot minute not knowing where you were going."

"That's better than what this group here was doing!" he responded, pointing around at his siblings, "At least I wasn't busy playing with myself…"

"Can you dispense with the dick-measuring for five minutes?" Allison criticized.

Klaus gave a soft laugh and sat on the center tv display.

"Unless you can literally, 'cause Ben and I-'"

"We don't have time for this," Luther shouted," The Feds could be here any minute."

"That's what I've been saying," Allison threw up her hands.

"I'm agreeing," Luther pointed out.

"Okay, calm down Hairy-" Five cut in.

"Hey, it's King Kong. And I'm sick of your ass, okay? Guys, we need to move, okay? That is more important here. That is our _only_ option."

"No, we need to box those windows and stay _here_," Diego suggested.

"I'm leaving."

Everyone looked over at Vanya who had just made it back down where they were all violently debating. She easily brought everyone's bickering to a halt. Allison was the first to speak up.

"What? To go where?"

Rachel just watched her friend, assessing her. She was worried, but sure of what she needed to do. She wanted help, though, which was a truly rare feeling for the Hargreeves siblings.

"Sissy's farm. Something's wrong with Harlan, and I need to help him."

"Vanya, we need to stick together, okay?" Luther stepped in," Now more than ever."

Vanya stepped forward.

"That's why I'm telling you this. Whatever's going on with Harlan, I think I might've caused it."

"How?" her biggest brother asked.

Vanya sighed, thinking how best to word it.

"He drowned and, uh, somehow I was able to bring him back to life and now it's like we're connected."

Rachel clenched her hand into a fist. That was not an aspect of Vanya's powers that any of them would have seen coming.

"Wh…What does that even mean?" Luther queried, having a difficult time processing the idea.

"I don't know. I can't explain, but…I know that he needs my help. And I need your help, too. I'm scared. And for the first time in my life, I don't wanna do it alone. I want my family by my side."

It was quiet as everyone took in her sincerity. Diego stepped toward her; arms crossed.

"Look, I'm sorry. We have other priorities right now."

Rachel was about to speak up when Five beat her to it.

"Diego's right. For once. We need to make our stand here and now."

The girl was stunned as Vanya waited for her other siblings to speak up. Rachel stared at Five, conflicted. She wanted to help Vanya, the girl was her best friend, but she wanted to stay by Five's side this time, especially after almost dying. She stared out at the street, upset and torn once again.

"Okay," Vanya accepted their answer," I guess I'll see you when I see you."

She then headed out to the car in the back alley where they must have parked a car. Rachel reached out to the feelings around her. Klaus was the most willing to help next to Allison. Taking a breath, the girl turned on the remaining Hargreeves, throwing emotions at them. She amplified Klaus and Allison's feelings to help while filling the remaining males with guilt.

"Really? This is what family is like to you all? Sweet, quiet, Vanya who always needed help but never asked for it…_finally_ asks for it and you all turn away? From the girl who was always accepting of you…"

Rachel glared at Five, who looked away.

"Who always took the blame when you did something stupid."

Both Klaus and Diego looked at each other. The uncertainty in Klaus changed to confidence. He stood up and followed his sister as Rachel continued.

"The girl who was always there to comfort you."

Allison looked up at Rachel before nodding.

"Who you all hurt the most."

Luther turned his back on her. Allison broke away and headed up the stairs.

"You all should be ashamed of yourselves," she told the remaining three as she moved toward the stairs, "I'm going to help her with those who seem to understand what family means. And at the risk of sounding like an angry mother…I am _very _disappointed in you three."

Rachel turned and moved up the stairs. She bypassed Allison who stopped to grab her coat. She was just moving into the hallway, when Five appeared at Rachel's side. He took her hand as they walked.

"You know I can be stubborn…" he told her quietly.

"Mmhmm."

"But you also know I love my family. Even when they are driving me insane. And I love you…even when you tell me I'm wrong."

Rachel looked up at him with a smile.

"I know. I'm glad you made the right choice."

Five smirked.

"Like you would let me get away with making the wrong one…"

The girl just hummed in amusement. She then stopped Five just before going out the door to the back alley.

"Thanks, by the way. For saving me. The Commission sucked but we got some handy skills there."

Five put his hands in his pockets.

"Do me a favor and don't run into trouble like that again, no matter what your feelings tell you. I would also like you to avoid leaving dying words with Diego. He may have picked fun at Luther for crying, but he was stuttering his way through your last words to him."

"Aw, that is actually sweet. I also make no promises. I am who I am, and you know that."

Her partner made an annoyed sound in his throat, but he leaned down and kissed her.

"You drive me crazy, Rachel. I guess that's how I know you're really family."

Rachel grinned as Diego and Allison stepped between the two of them to get out the door they were blocking. Diego made sure to push Five and not her.

"You two have terrible timing about being all couple-y," Diego noted for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Allison laughed.

"Have you considered that you are the one with bad timing?" she asked her brother.

Five made a face at them before following them out. The two were just hopping into the backseat as Five and Rachel made it to the passenger side, where Klaus was currently sitting.

"Five, you… Rachel just got shot and-you don't have to-" Vanya started as her brother examined those in the car.

"We know," Five cut her off, "You owe me one, sis."

"I do this for free!" Rachel noted from behind him, making Vanya smile.

Five looked at Klaus.

"Children ride in the back."

Klaus quickly moved over the car seat into the back with Allison and Diego, complaints occurring as he crushed them in his attempt. Five allowed Rachel to slip in first before he got in and closed the door, tossing a grin back at his siblings.

"Guys, I don't know what to say," Vanya told them all.

It was then that the trunk opened loudly, and Luther crawled into the open space. Rachel jumped as the car sank down. Everyone did their best not to laugh, though some could not help the grins that erupted as Luther closed the back door.

"Anyone makes a fat joke, and I'm outta here."

With the car struggling to move with the weight it carried, the Umbrella Academy took off for the farm to help Vanya save Harlan.


	39. Chapter 38

-February 2002:-

Sleepovers were a rarity for the Umbrella Academy. The Hargreeves children were never allowed to sleep outside the mansion. Rachel was allowed to stay over every once in a while and typically only if her parents had to travel on a trip that would interfere with the girl's studies at the Academy.

One such sleepover occurred unexpectedly thanks to a major snowstorm. While this was not an unusual occurrence for New York, Rachel's parents had gone on a business trip to Canada for three days. Unfortunately, the snowstorm occurring between the two locations had grounded planes. Rachel's great aunt had travelled up from Maryland to babysit her and easily travelled back South early that morning when Rachel left for training. But, by ten in the morning the storm had come in at full force. By the time lessons had ended in the late afternoon, Grace had received a phone call from Rachel's parents asking for her to stay at the Academy for the night, or at least until planes were up and running again. With no other choice, a sleepover was initiated. Grace and Rachel braved the snow in a car to get her necessities before coming back to the mansion.

The Hargreeves girls were giddy with excitement. They had been around eight the last time Rachel was able to sleep over. Now, there were much more exciting things to do and talk about. Upon her return, Allison and Vanya swept the girl up and brought her to Allison's room. While she was out with Grace, the sisters had created a fort out of blankets and pillows on the floor of the room.

"What do you think?" Vanya asked shyly.

Rachel's face broke into a big smile as she dumped her bags on a chair by the bedroom door.

"This is amazing!" she told the girls, tackling them in a hug.

They were all giggling together when Luther stopped by the door.

"Hey, Diego called a snowball fight outside. You all in?"

Allison was the first to run out the door.

"Of course!"

Vanya and Rachel smirked and looked at each other.

"Of course!" they sang together, teasingly, before laughing and following Allison and Luther.

The group of four grabbed their coats, scarves, hats, and gloves from the front hall before heading out to the courtyard. Diego was there already, trying to pelt Five with snowballs. The space jumper would dodge the snowballs by disappearing and reappearing not too far away.

"Ch-Cheater!" Diego complained.

"Yeah, right! Like you aren't curving them," Five sassed back, throwing a snowball at Klaus.

Ben got hit with that snowball as Klaus pulled his brother in front of him.

"Hey!" he complained, brushing snow from his face," I'm not a shield!"

"Aw, come on, Benny! You wouldn't want a handsome face to be damaged."

Luther laughed and smacked a handful of snow on top of Klaus's head before running off.

"The only handsome face here is mine."

The females hovered by the door, not quite excited at the idea of jumping into the violent display that was occurring before their eyes. Vanya sighed.

"It can never just be casual, can it?"

Allison shook her head.

"Nope. We have too many alpha males here."

Rachel leaned down and scooped up some snow. She smiled at the girls.

"Aw, who cares? Let's just have fun."

Rachel tossed a snowball, hitting Diego in the back of the head. He whipped around, not having even noticed the girls. Rachel could feel the embarrassment radiating off him.

"R-Rach! No-Not fai-fair!"

She took off running, Allison and Vanya laughing along behind her. The girls formed a team. Vanya pulled together a wall of snow while Allison and Rachel protected her. The girls then used it as a barrier between them and the boys, who were in an all-out free for all.

As night fell around them, the children had so much fun out in the snow together. Rachel smiled, watching her friends race with full force across the courtyard. She got to see Vanya honestly enjoying herself, her rare smile shining from being a part of the fun. Their fun was dampened by Pogo coming to tell them that dinner was ready. They broke up the snowball fight to tidy up a bit before the usual awkward dinner that occurred at the Academy. Rachel had always found their mealtimes too structured for her taste. She loved talking with her parents over the night's meal. She missed them as she did her best to enjoy Grace's perfectly cooked meal.

Luckily, the fun was not completely over as the girls were able to stay up chatting late into the night. Rachel staying over was always a respite for the kids. She had been informed a long time ago that Reginald monitored his children's sleep every night. Rachel could not begin to understand how they were able to sleep while connected to a machine. She was glad her presence could give them a night free from their father's strange ways. It was near one in the morning before the girls were all asleep.

It had only been a couple hours when Rachel sat up from her space on the floor, awakened from a nightmare. Glancing around, she found Vanya and Allison still asleep, luckily, so she had not screamed. Sighing, Rachel crawled out from the fort, opened the bedroom door quietly, and sat out in the hallway. She squeezed her eyes shut as she attempted to rid herself of her nightmare. In it, she had been trapped in darkness, completely alone. She called out for her parents and the Hargreeves siblings, but no one responded. She had run and run and could not escape the darkness. When she thought she could no longer run, images had appeared. Images of a happy normal life with her parents, a future with children, a mysterious tall dark figure who loved her flashed by her. She raced after them, but they slipped past her. Uncatchable. Not for her.

Rachel shivered, her white nightdress with pink flowers on it was too thin to ward of the chill of the wintery night, much less the chill running through her body from her nightmare. The teenager felt sobs building in her chest. Shaking her head, she began walking down the hallway. She kept herself from having an anxiety attack by focusing on something that would make her feel better. Hot chocolate. She passed by the doorways to the bedrooms on the bottom floor. She felt the calmness of slumber radiating through the mansion as she climbed the stairs. She was halfway to the kitchen when she froze. Reginald Hargreeves was leaving his office, which she was just tiptoeing past. She glanced around for a place to hide, not wanting him to question her about why she was wandering around his home like a thief in the night. She began to back away, panic rising, when a familiar aura appeared behind her. She felt a hand cover her mouth before the tug of shifting through space engulfed her. She was now behind one of the mansions larger hallways statues, this one of a war general, with her mouth covered and an arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

"Quiet or he'll see us."

Rachel let Five pull her against him, further into the shadows behind the statue as his father left the office just yards down the hall from them. He paused outside the room and Rachel could sense curiosity. After a moment, his usual calm took over and he locked up the office before moving off toward his quarters. Rachel sighed as Five removed his hand.

"Why are you sneaking around the place at night?" he whispered, sliding out from behind the statue.

He gave her a serious stare that was less threatening than he may have thought due to his pajamas, slippers, and housecoat making him look particularly young. The girl shivered once again as she stepped out into the breezy hallway.

"I had a nightmare, so I was going to get some hot chocolate…"

Five rolled his eyes, but she knew he was more amused than annoyed.

"Such a simpleton."

Five shrugged off his housecoat and tossed it at Rachel. It smacked her in the face, making her let out a soft whine. He gave a cheeky grin before heading off toward the kitchen. Rachel pulled on the housecoat, warm from his body heat, and scurried after him. Turning on the lights, Five inspected the shelves.

"Hmm…"

Rachel tried to hold in a laugh as she stood beside him.

"You have no idea where anything is, do you?"

"I don't have a working knowledge of the kitchen, no, but I know where Grace hides the good stuff."

He moved over and began rummaging around in the pantry to the side of the room. Rachel spotted tea leaves on the shelf before her. Scanning over, she quickly found hot chocolate. She grabbed the tin, two mugs, and milk from the fridge. Finding a small cooking pot, she began heating the milk on the stove. Five sat against the cupboards, on the floor, and began eating shortbread cookies from a blue tin.

"Want any?" he asked, glancing up at her.

She just shook her head, keeping an eye on the stove. There was a pause before Five put down the cookie tin.

"So, are you going to tell me about your nightmare?"

Rachel tugged on the housecoat, making it hug her a bit.

"I don't really want to…"

Five shrugged.

"Whatever. Save it for Vanya or Ben, then."

The two were quiet as Rachel waited for the milk to be heated. When it was hot enough, she readied the two mugs of hot chocolate. After quickly cleaning up the pot, she handed Five his mug before sitting down on the floor beside him. Rachel wrapped her hands around the mug, warming herself. Taking a sip, she gave a content sigh. The sweetness made her feel better. She glanced over at Five to see him warming his hands similarly.

"About not telling you the nightmare…It isn't about talking to you versus Vanya or Ben. It was just…really scary for me. I'd just rather not remember."

Five just shrugged again, not bothered either way. The two drank their liquid sugar peacefully.

"Do…eh, no. Nothing."

Rachel looked over at him curiously. His emotions had flared curiosity suddenly.

"What?" she asked, nudging his shoulder slightly.

"I just…wondered…do animals have feelings that you can read?"

The girl blinked at him in surprise.

"Yes. But not plants. So, I can't get feelings from every living thing."

Five's eyes met hers, his love of knowledge getting the better of him. He turned his body toward her more so he could face her.

"Do animals feel the same as people, then?"

"No. They kind of…flicker faster. I barely feel them, honestly. It also depends on the animal. Dogs feel more strongly than pigeons or squirrels, for example. Generally, most animals are easy to tune out. It is like listening to background music in a store. Humans feel so strongly that they are hard to ignore unless I shut my powers off. I can't tune them out. So…it is kind of like working at that store where there is background music that you don't notice or forget about but then someone comes up and asks you where to find the women's dressing area."

Five raised an eyebrow and sipped his drink.

"Interesting example…"

Rachel smiled at him.

"What is using your power like? Does it take a lot of thinking?"

"Mmm, yeah. It is a lot of mental math. I also have to know where I want to go. Let's just say, I think I'm the only one smart enough in the Umbrella Academy to even have my power. Imagine Luther trying to do mental math to get from one place to another."

Rachel smiled behind her mug. The idea was admittedly amusing. The guy could barely remember directions told to him.

"Sounds like our powers are pretty opposite. Mine takes all feeling, yours takes all thinking."

Five shook his head.

"No. Luther's is the polar opposite of mine. He just hits or throws things. Thoughtlessly."

This time the girl laughed, making Five smirk, pleased with himself. The two continued chatting about their powers and schoolwork until they were finished with their mugs of hot chocolate. When Rachel went to take the mugs to clean them, Five held his away from her.

"I got it. I may not know the kitchen, but I can clean a couple of mugs."

The boy snatched her mug away from her and got up. As she stood, Rachel frowned at Five.

"Actually, why were you up, Five?"

He began to wash the items, keeping the water pressure low to stay quiet.

"Why do you think I'm the smartest one here?'

Rachel's jaw went slack. He tried to hold back an amused smile.

"What could you be studying at three in the morning?!"

He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Time travel. It takes a lot of forethought, but I think I'm ready now."

The girl stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"You're crazy if you think your dad is going to let you even try."

"He can't stop me."

Even Five did not believe those words. He finished up with the cleaning and drying before turning to her. Rachel did her best not to yelp loudly as Five pinched her cheek, hard.

"You're such a bully," she pouted, rubbing her cheek.

His haughty smirk showed no sign of remorse as he grabbed her elbow and began dragging her out of the kitchen. She cradled her stinging face as he pulled her along. They turned out the lights in the kitchen before Five instantly brought her to Allison's bedroom door.

"Stay in there this time, alright? You need to get some actual sleep," he told her, turning and walking away.

"Th-Thank you!" she whispered after him.

A wave of his hand showed her he heard. As he disappeared from her sight, Rachel carefully crept back into the bedroom. Allison and Vanya were just where the girl had left them. Smiling to herself, she crawled under the fort and fluffed up her pillow. Lying down, she pulled her blanket over her before falling asleep shortly after, the sweetness of hot chocolate soothing her into a peaceful sleep.

In the morning, Rachel woke up to Vanya shaking her shoulder. She blearily opened her eyes to look up at her best friend.

"Morning already?" she asked, swearing that she had just closed her eyes.

Sitting up, Rachel stretched, her hands touching the blanket roof of the fort. Allison and Vanya stared at the girl. As she finished stretching, she froze and looked at them.

"What's wrong?"

Allison pointed at the girl's chest.

"Whose housecoat are you wearing? Because, mine is hanging right over there still."

Mentally cursing, Rachel tugged the housecoat she had slept in off her body and folded it over her arm.

"Oh! Is it Diego's?" Vanya asked, her voice going up an octave as she said her brother's name.

"I…uh, it isn't how it seems! I just had a hard time sleeping last night and Five was up and-"

"_Five_?!" the two girls synchronously exclaimed.

Rachel's eyes closed in exasperation. Getting up, she rushed to the bedroom door, but then thought better of it. She stopped in front of Allison's mirror, fixing her bedhead as best she could, before exiting the room. All of the boys on the bottom floor had their doors open as it was their usual time to get up, making her grateful she stopped to fix her hair. Most of them were pajama clad zombies, though, as Rachel rushed past them and up to Five's room. But not Diego.

"Rachel!" Diego called out as she passed by him.

"Good morning," she told him quickly, pounding up the stairs.

She groaned as he followed her, Allison and Vanya not too far behind. Ben was just coming out of his room as Rachel knocked on Five's door. It was awkward as the four people around her stared while she waited for the door to open. She glared up at the ceiling trying to ignore the confusion, jealousy, concern, and amusement surrounding her. The door opened, after what felt like an eternity, to Five looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Morning?" he questioned, glancing around at the crowd by his door.

The girl shoved his housecoat at him.

"Thanks for letting me borrow it," she told him in a rush, before turning away and attempting to get back down the stairs.

Her escape was blocked by a grinning Allison. There was a fire in Diego's eyes as he looked over at Five. Rachel cringed as she sensed amusement rising in Five.

"Wh-why…h-housec-coat? F-Five?" Diego could barely make a coherent sentence; he was so upset.

"It isn't a big deal," she told them all, trying to laugh casually.

The laugh came out stilted and unconvincing. She turned and looked at Five pleadingly.

"Five, tell them it wasn't a big deal."

Five wore an unconcerned look as he pulled the housecoat on. He put on a show of wrapping it tightly around him.

"Hm, I wouldn't want to lie to them, now would I?"

Ben rolled his eyes at his brother, knowing he was playing up whatever it was that really happened for her to have his housecoat.

"You're full of it," he told his brother, going back into his room, "It is too early for this."

Diego, on the other hand, crossed his arms over his chest.

"W-What hap…hap-happened?"

Five shrugged and leaned his back against the doorframe.

"Aw, that's between me and Rach. Last night was really fun, though. We should do that again soon."

Rachel had to turn away from the rage that seared through Diego, the teenager's mind clearly running wild, the way Five hoped it would. The girl felt her cheeks burning as she chose to push past Allison and run away.

"Rachel!" Vanya called after her, running to comfort her embarrassed friend.

Five let out a laugh and turned back into his room.

"It's just too easy."

He slammed the door on Diego as his brother rushed at him.

"T-Tell m-me! How d-da-dare y-you!"

Diego rattled the door, but it was locked. The only thing that could be heard inside was mean-spirited laughter. A floor below, Rachel prayed that the snowstorm had blown through so she could go home to her parents and escape the eyes of her confused and curious friends.


	40. Chapter 39

As the car pulled into the drive to Sissy's farm, the group was confused. It had been clear skies and green grass up until they pulled up to the farmhouse. A huge grey cloud swirled above the barn, suggesting supernatural power was at work. Blue electricity seemed to be striking the barn. Or the cloud. It was hard to tell where the streaks of light originated as Rachel could only sense the familiar essence of Vanya's power emanating from the barn. Rachel leaned over Five to look outside. It was so bleak, so dreary, and so very ominous.

"Usually snow makes me think of happier days, but this is the most depressing snow I have ever seen."

Vanya parked the car just outside the teal painted barn.

"You think whatever's going on inside is causing the cold front?" Diego asked, as everyone scrambled out of the car.

"Well, the correlation is high," Five noted.

A panicked blonde came rushing out of the barn with a rifle. Diego held out a hand as she turned the gun on them. Klaus put his hands up in surrender. Five pushed Rachel behind him, not looking for her to get shot again.

"Sissy! Sissy!" Vanya tried to calm the woman down as she ran out in front of her family.

"Get back!" the woman shouted at them," All of you, just get the hell back!"

The woman was not listening to Vanya as she ran closer to them, ready to shoot.

"Hey! Hey! What's wrong?" Vanya screamed back at her, holding out a hand.

Sissy seemed to notice Vanya suddenly, looking between her lover and the newcomers. Rachel was taken aback at the realization that Vanya had actually acted on her feelings. They clearly had not had time to talk about Vanya's feelings for Sissy since the time they were at the hair salon. She was pleased the woman loved her friend but was less pleased that she was tempted to shoot them.

"Carl," the woman hissed.

"What did he do to you?" Vanya asked.

Sissy shook her head as her emotions became conflicted and sad.

"He's…He's dead. Harlan tossed him aside like a rag doll, same way you sent those policemen flyin'. What did you do to him?"

"No-" Vanya tried to cut in, but Sissy was incredibly upset.

"What the hell did you do to my son?" the woman demanded.

Rachel reached out and tried to ease the woman's emotions toward reason as Vanya stepped closer to Sissy.

"We don't have time for this," Diego commented, moving toward the woman.

Rachel cursed in annoyance. A mother's emotions to protect her child were stronger than Rachel had been expecting. Sissy raised the gun again, gripping it firmly as she pointed it at Diego, severing the girl's attempt to let her see reason.

"Where you think you're going?"

As the group moved forward, ready to help Diego, he held his hand out to her placatingly. Rachel tried again to ease the woman's feelings.

"To help your son," he told her calmly.

Vanya stepped closer again.

"Look, Sissy, I found my family. These are my brothers and my sisters."

Rachel felt a wave of appreciation for Vanya's lack of hesitation in calling her a sister. Sissy's gun lowered as she listened. After a moment, she put the gun down at her side. Luther waved at her.

"Ma'am," he smiled.

Rachel let up on Sissy's feelings, the woman now calm enough to engage with the group.

"Were you lyin' to me the whole time?" she asked Vanya, hurt coming to her at the thought.

Vanya shook her head.

"Of course not. Look, I didn't know who I was. But I do now. And we are not the monsters that they say we are. We did not kill the president. We are not terrorists. We're not here to hurt anyone."

"Then…who are you?" Sissy asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

"The only one who can help Harlan," Vanya assured her.

There was a tense moment between the two before Sissy turned toward the barn, feeling helpless.

"Please, help him!" she begged, beckoning them to follow.

They all rushed forward, Vanya in the lead. From one end of the barn, they could come in from the first floor, from the other the second floor. Currently, they were heading to the second floor. Reaching the door, she slid it open and they all moved inside. The sight was unusual. In the middle of the barn was a dome of energy, swirling around a small individual who floated in the air. The rushing of the energy was so loud that Vanya had to scream to be heard.

"Harlan!" she called out, hoping the boy could hear her.

Five leaned his lips to Rachel's ear.

"Can you feel him? Calm him down?"

Rachel shook her head.

"It is too intense, like when Vanya's powers are out of her control. Harlan is the same."

Vanya stepped up close to the energy dome.

"Look, Harlan, I know you're really scared, but I can help you. I need you to listen to me, okay? Can you do that?"

Vanya stepped into the dome using her powers.

"Careful," Five warned his sister.

They all watched as she slowly approached Harlan. The group was intent on watching her when Rachel felt Klaus move away from the group. Looking over, she saw him walking to the other side of the barn where there was a floor to ceiling open space.

"Uh…guys?" Klaus called.

Rachel bounded over at his summons.

"What?" Diego demanded, following her.

The two were the first to go over and see the Handler and Lila standing together out in the field.

"Ah, shit," Diego cursed.

Five came up beside Rachel and looked out. He was just as surprised as Diego and Rachel to see them.

"What, who are they?" Klaus asked.

"One's the Handler, the other's Diego's girlfriend," Five announced to his siblings who know nothing about the Commission.

"Lila. That's my _ex-girlfriend_," his brother amended.

"What?"

"You know what? Doesn't matter. They both look angry," Luther noted.

"Yeah, well our brother has that effect on people," Allison noted.

Rachel tugged at her sling awkwardly.

"Yeah, well, she's exceptionally mad. More so than expected…"

Five looked between the two in the field and the group in the barn.

"I have to find out what they want. You guys stay with Vanya and the kid."

"Not alone, you're not," Rachel told him, following him.

"I'm coming with you, too. Come on," Diego added.

The group of three moved quickly to the door and moved around the barn. They crossed the field at a decent pace before stopping before the unwelcome guests. As they came close, the Handler chuckled gleefully.

"I love the smell of that fresh country air, don't you, darling?" she asked her daughter.

"Makes me want to vomit," was the response.

Rachel looked at the Hargreeves brothers beside her, finding them more on the defensive than the women before them. Rachel looked at Lila who glared back at them.

"Well, hi, Lila," Rachel tried out.

Her not quite friend gave her an annoyed look.

"Don't be cute."

"What do you want?" Five asked, interrupting them to get to the point.

"To watch you suffer," Lila responded, her voice full of venom.

Rachel was taken aback by the vehemence in her voice that was targeted toward Five. She had expected her to be angrier with Diego or her, but hatred for Five was outstandingly clear. Did she truly hate him for beating her in a fight once?

"What about me?" Diego asked, almost insulted.

"You're not even worth my wrath."

"Okay…" Rachel commented under her breath.

"Easy," her mother cooed," We're here on official business."

Five's eyebrows lifted.

"And what business is that?"

The woman batted her eyelashes as she smiled.

"As the head of the Commission, I've decided to eliminate the criminals responsible for the assassination of the former board of directors."

Rachel and Five exchanged a look. Five was now worried and Rachel was fully panicking on the inside.

"Yeah, right," Diego scoffed," We didn't kill the board."

Five interrupted his brother as Rachel awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Uh, actually, Diego, that's not entirely accurate."

Diego looked between Rachel and Five who avoided his gaze purposefully.

"You didn't tell them," the Handler scolded.

Five barely shrugged while Rachel examined the fingernails on her good arm.

"Oh, Five…Rachel…Shame on you."

"What the hell did you two do?" Diego questioned.

Five looked directly into his brother's eyes.

"What I _had_ to to get my family home. Until _somebody_ reneged on our deal."

His gaze landed accusingly on the Handler.

"Somebody wouldn't have reneged on the deal if somebody could've met a simple deadline. Alas."

"You set me up to fail," he sighed heavily, fully understanding her plan.

"You set yourself up to fail, friend. You and your girlfriend and your brothers and sisters. Kinda the running theme of your little life, isn't it?"

Rachel and Five both glared at the woman.

"I really hate you," the shorter blonde told the taller one.

Diego looked down at Rachel.

"How could you help him do that? You knew what it would do to the Commission!"

She looked up at him offended.

"Because we're a team and we had no other choice at the time!"

He gave her a disapproving look before turning it over on Five.

"Dude, I can't believe you killed the board of directors. You have _no_ idea how messed up the Commission is right now.

"Messed up?" the Handler interrupted," Who's saying that?"

Diego and Rachel both looked over at her.

"Everybody," they replied in unison.

The taller male shook his head.

"Christ, even the janitors think it's going to shit," he went on.

"That's not all he killed."

Lila stepped into the conversation, all attention going to her. Her hatred was flaring once again.

"What are you talking about?" Five asked exasperated.

"Don't play dumb, you prepubescent piece of shit."

"Lila! Seriously, what is it?" Rachel asked, concerned, "What did-?"

The Handler cut her off, putting down her briefcase.

"Enough. The point is all of you are going to die today. Hmm?"

Diego gave her a pompous expression.

"Oh. Well, I don't like your chances. Seven of us, two of you."

Rachel inhaled while the two beside her prepped to fight. The Handler was too smug for it to be that simple. The Handler just smiled at them, amused.

"You know, you're right. Let's change that."

With a snap of her fingers, agents appeared on the field behind her and her daughter in droves. Rachel took a step back as they popped into 1963. Guns were prepped and trained on them. More kept appearing over the course of a minute until there were literally thousands of agents before them. Every single agent with the Commission had to be on the field now. Rachel's heart sank along with those of the Hargreeves family she could sense, which included Klaus, Allison, and Luther who had stood behind at a distance watching them talk.

"So, what do we do now?" Diego asked his companions.

Rachel inched backwards as Five went into full panic mode.

"Well, we got two choices: fight and die now or run and die later. Either way, we're food for worms."

"Preference?" Diego asked.

Five shrugged while Rachel let out a shaky laugh.

"Wouldn't mind a few more minutes breathing air through the old windbags, right, Rach?"

"I've been shot once today, so I'd like to postpone being shot again, fatally this time, for as long as possible."

Diego nodded at them.

"All right," the Handler sighed," Let's get this over with, shall we?"

The woman pulled a red kerchief out of her pocket and lifted it into the air.

"Run!" Five shouted.

The three turned and booked it toward the barn. Diego and Five both pushed Rachel ahead of them as they sprinted off. Now ahead of them, the watching Hargreeves began running away as well. After a moment, a roar rose up and a stampede of agents came racing after them. Gunshots began whizzing past them and into the ground at their feet. Rachel was just ahead of the brothers as they ran, thanks to their urging, cursing with every step as her wound screamed at her.

"We're not gonna make it!" Diego shouted from behind her.

Rachel felt a fist grab the back of her jacket as Diego kept yelling. They were now running on snow instead of the field outside of Harlan's snowstorm as Five moved them closer to the barn. Unused to Five's spacial jumping, Diego staggered.

"Five, I think I'm gonna puke."

"No time!" Five told him.

Rachel, who had been so focused on running, was grabbed by the waist and pulled behind a red tractor with the males. The girl found herself tucked awkwardly between Diego's legs, thrown there by Five, so she was hidden from the bullets.

"What now?" Five questioned.

"We blink to the house, man!" Diego suggested.

"Okay."

Five reached out to the two of them again, but this time his powers only glowed in his hands, not working.

"What?" Diego shrieked, not understanding why they were not at the house.

"Shit, I'm out of fuel," Five told them, looking around in a panic," I'm too tired."

"Not this again," Rachel squeaked, "You didn't sleep, did you? What have I told you?!"

"Nag me another time when you didn't almost die," he retorted, as more bullets sounded around them.

Diego suddenly pushed Rachel forward.

"Go! I'll…I'll cover for you."

Five and Rachel protested, but he shouted at them to go, jumping to his feet. Rachel grabbed Five's wrist and took off running. As the two looked back, they could see Diego stopping the bullets that came flying in their direction. The two turned forward again and moved into the bullet ridden house, only to hear a massive explosion from outside somewhere.

As the two hesitated in the doorway, Five pulled Rachel under the table with him as the house seemed to get demolished around them. Sparks went off and glass shattered, making them shout. Amongst the sounds of ricocheting bullets came a familiar high-pitched tone. Rachel relaxed slightly, sensing Vanya hovering by the barn. There was something akin to an earthquake that had Five and Rachel grabbing on to each other. After it, though, there were no more flying bullets. The two let go of each other and looked around in the quiet. Debris was all around them, making the silence seem out of place. The two crawled out and glanced through the completely destroyed window of the house. Back out in the field, though, was a confusing sight. Around Lila and the Handler was a blue dome, similar to the one Harlan made with Vanya's powers, leaving them perfectly unharmed. As the two watched, Lila's chest glowed with a blue light and she floated up toward the sky.

The feeling Rachel got from Lila was so similar to Vanya's that she began backing away from the window quickly.

"We need to take cover," she told Five, shaking his arm.

"Shit, shit," Five cursed, following his partner in ducking down.

Another shaking of the earth had them clinging to each other to keep them upright. The two jumped as Luther came sailing through the ceiling about ten seconds later, landing in the living room.

"Jesus!" Rachel shouted, moving over to check on him," Luther!"

Five followed after her.

"Luther, you all right?"

The large man, now covered in debris and snow from the roof caving in, groaned.

"Oh, I think I swallowed my tongue," he rasped.

Five sighed in both annoyance and relief.

"Luther, if you swallowed your tongue, you wouldn't be talking, you big moron. Come on, on your feet."

Rachel just grinned as they both tugged his brother up to stand.

"Hey, what the hell happened?" Luther questioned, his head still spinning a bit, "What was that?"

As the girl dusted Luther off, Five glanced back out the window that was now across the room.

"She must've redirected Vanya's energy wave."

"Yeah, I know, but how?"

It was then that the fireplace began to give way from the roof collapsing. Before Rachel could register what was happening, Five shouted at her and Luther before shoving them out of the way. Rachel stumbled back with Luther, him catching her before she fell over. The bricks of the fireplace rained down, burying Five beneath them.

"Five!" the two shouted, running over and trying to dig him out.

Rachel could still sense him beneath the bricks, at least grateful for that, but she was frustrated that she could only use one arm to help Luther. They had only been at it for a moment when Lila appeared before them in the dining room, clearly having used Five's power. Luther stood up while Rachel keep digging.

"What are you?" Luther asked her.

"Someone who wants to kill your brother," was her easy reply.

Luther shrugged.

"Well, that's understandable. Diego can be a lot to handle."

Rachel growled as she dug.

"She doesn't mean that one, unfortunately."

"Yeah, I was talking about Five," Lila agreed.

Luther, taken by surprised, nodded.

"Him, too. But, unfortunately, they're family, so you're shit out of luck."

Luther threw a punch at Lila who easily caught it, power vibrating out from their hands. Rachel, realizing she was in a dangerous position between the two, got up to a squatting position. The girl began edging around the pile, pulling bricks off. She knew if it came to a fight with powers, she was not built for that even if she had use of both arms. But…maybe she could…

Luther struggled against Lila, neither budging.

"How is this possible?" Luther strained out.

"Gotta believe in yourself, big boy."

Rachel jumped as Lila suddenly punched with her other arm and sent Luther flying through the side wall of the house. He landed out in the yard among the wooden splinters of the wall.

"Lila, stop!" Rachel screamed, standing up and turning to the girl.

Lila, who had been about to take a step toward Luther, halted and doubled over. Rachel moved toward her, sending every ounce of pain she could into the girl. She felt the pain as well, accepted it, and allowed it to flow through her.

"Why are you…doing this?" Rachel gasped out to her, "What happened?"

Lila let out a frustrated and pained scream, sobs building.

"Stop. Rachel…Please…"

Rachel's breathing picked up as the girl fell to the floor on her knees. Lila held out a shaking hand to Rachel.

"It hurts…"

Shaking from rage and pain, Rachel stared down at the girl. There was fear in her. It radiated out from her entire being now. As Rachel stared into her fearful eyes, she let the pain go and fell to her knees. The two of them breathed heavily. Lila coughed and kneeled back on her heels.

"Why…why can't I use your power?"

Rachel shook her head.

"Maybe because…I wasn't born with…it. Were…you?"

Lila scoffed and let out a smile.

"I like you, Rachel…but you shouldn't …be so nice."

The girl didn't have time to even form a reply before she was smacked across the abdomen and sent flying across the room with Luther's power. Rachel crashed into the back wall of the house, where she and Five entered, before collapsing in a heap on the ground, unconscious.


	41. Chapter 40

Rachel came to on her back. Her front stung from being flung face first into a wall, though. She groaned as she sat up. The force of her body hitting the wall had caused debris to fall on her while she was unconscious. Sitting up, it accumulated on her lap. Moving to a kneeling position, Rachel felt blood on her lips.

"You know what…hurts most?" she grumbled to herself, standing up.

She used her good hand to dust herself off. Blood trickled down her face from a glass cut to her forehead from the broken window. She was amazed her nose was intact, probably hitting at just the right place for the broken window. The girl wiped blood from the side of her mouth where her teeth had dug into her lip.

"That she was right. I'm too _fucking_ nice. Now I'm going to kill her with love…"

Rachel staggered across the room to the open hole Luther's body had made. Climbing down, she sensed Five and Lila in the barn's second floor, Vanya waking up from outside the barn, and the other Hargreeves outside near the barn, while Sissy and the Handler were on the barn's first floor with Harlan. Without hesitation, the girl began moving toward Five's location. She made it to the door of the building to find Lila facing Five. Anguish radiated from the girl while Five was just full of anger.

"You are going to suffer for what you did."

Five lowered his fists and sighed.

"Lady, I got no idea what you're talkin' about."

"Ronnie and Anita Gill."

"Mean nothing to me."

Rachel was about to step in and really make the girl feel something when she stopped.

"1993, East London."

Remembering her private conversation with Lila, Rachel knew the girl was from East London. Her parents died when she was four…could she have been born in 1989? Just like the rest of them. Like the Hargreeves siblings, she had powers. Were there more than just the seven of them? Rachel stepped quietly into the barn, sticking close to the wall. The murderous intent she felt for Lila slipped out of her. This was just a little girl in pain from having her parents killed and taken away. Her anger was misguided, but it came out of love.

"You hog-tied them and you shot them in the head," Lila told Five.

Realization struck Rachel's partner.

"The flower merchants. They were your parents?" he asked, shocked.

Five's mind could be seen working quickly, trying to figure out how this information fit into everything.

"And they never did anything to anyone," Lila snarled," They didn't deserve to die like that."

Rachel remembered the odd mission Five had mentioned. The one in 1993 that was weird. They had brushed by it back then. Maybe they should have investigated it more.

"You're right, all right?" Five told her, "I killed them. But I killed a lot of people over the years. It was all just a job. All right? That was never personal."

Lila laughed.

"'Never personal,' my ass. Yeah, I've killed. It's always, always personal."

Five shook his head.

"That's why you're not cut out to be an assassin."

Lila pulled a knife from her boot.

"Bet your life on that?"

Rachel stepped forward.

"No, Lila! Stop, please. He's telling the truth."

Lila looked back at her.

"Like you wouldn't say anything to defend him."

Lila started moving in on Five. The girl moved to help, but Five held a hand out to her, wanting to keep her out of it.

"You wanna blame someone? Blame the Handler, all right? She faked the kill order."

"Bullshit. I saw the kill order," Lila shouted at him," AJ Carmichael ordered it, and you carried it out."

Ignoring Five's wishes, Rachel moved forward cautiously, trying to calm Lila.

"Your mom has covered a lot of her tracks in the past, this wouldn't be any different."

Lila kept her eyes on Five while addressing Rachel.

"Keep trying to use your power on me and I swear I'll kill you, too. Turn it off."

The girl hesitated, but Five looked at her and nodded. Sighing, Rachel pulled back her powers, turning them off, knowing Lila meant what she said, but also knowing that help was coming. She had to trust them.

"Lila, listen to what I'm telling you, all right?" Five said, "The Handler gave me the kill order. She came on the job, which she'd never done before. You're Commission. You know execs never go on jobs, but that day in London, she was there. Ask yourself _why_."

Five was reaching her and Lila was not taking that well as her voice shook.

"Stop trying to muddy the waters."

"I never realized what she was up to at the time, but…now it all makes sense."

"What?"

"She never cared about your parents. She was looking for _you_."

Lila's breath caught.

"Why?"

"'Cause you're one of us."

Diego led the rest of his siblings into the barn. They all slowly began to circle around Lila, Rachel taking the opportunity to get to Five.

"The Handler stole you, Lila," her ex-boyfriend told her," Just like our asshole father took all of us."

"No. It's not the same thing."

"You're right. Because he didn't have our parents murdered. Listen to me, Lila. You were born October 1, 1989, the same day as all of us."

"Stay back!" Lila shouted, brandishing her knife at them.

Rachel grabbed Five's arm as he moved toward Lila, pulling him back.

"Hey! Hey, stop!" Diego shouted to his antsy siblings," Wait. Wait. Hey! Lila? Lila, stop."

Lila stared directly at Diego.

"I trusted you."

She glanced back at Rachel.

"And you!"

She looked back at Diego.

"I got you a job, I even introduced you to my mother, and then you took off on me."

"That's because I needed to save the world!" he shouted at her before calming down," She's using you, Lila. The Handler."

The woman clearly did not know what to do. She had grown up thinking one thing and now they were asking her to consider an alternative.

"You're wrong. She raised me. She loves me."

"Yeah, you know what?" Luther told her, "Love shouldn't have to hurt this much."

Rachel sucked in her cheeks to keep from smirking at the big man to her left, much like half of his siblings. Lila gagged at his sentiment.

"All right, I tried."

Five cut in.

"He's right. We have to kill her."

Rachel whipped around and held him back as he tried to move toward Lila. Diego shouted at his brother to stop. Five glared at Rachel, trying to get to the woman, but not at the risk of hurting his partner.

"Stand down," she told him quietly, "Before I make you stand down."

Five's eyes stared into Rachel's, noting she was dead serious. He took a breath and stopped pushing forward. She turned back and nodded toward Diego.

"I got it," Diego told his brother.

Five's face showed he did not believe his brother, but he let him continue.

"Hey, Lila. Truth? She's dangerous. And you're scared of what she'll do with all that new power. That's why you dragged me and Rachel to the Commission. Because Rachel and I know what it's like to love dangerous people. Difference is…"

Diego looked around at his family.

"…they love us back."

Rachel smiled and looked over at Five and squeezed his hand. He squeezed it in return, his eyes still trained on Lila and Diego.

"Shut up," Lila practically sobbed, halfheartedly pointing her knife at him.

"The only thing she loves is power. Now, the minute she can't use you, she will turn on you, and deep down, I _know_ you know that."

He was leaning toward her knife; seemingly confident she would not hurt him.

"You don't know me, Diego."

Diego stepped toward her, Lila adjusting the knife, so it moved away from him.

"Don't I? I know that _we_ can be your family…if you just let us."

It was quiet in the barn until a commotion at the barn door caught everyone's attention. Five had managed to grab the Handler's gun as she walked into the barn. Rachel glanced at her side and then at the barn. She had not noticed him move from one place to another, which was unusual. She could not even recall letting go of his hand. Shaking it off, she watched as the Handler put her hands up as Five trained the automatic on her.

"It's true, isn't it?" Lila asked her adopted mother," What Five said."

The Handler glanced at Five before looking back at her daughter.

"Answer me! Is it true?"

"Well-"

She never got the chance to respond as the last of the Swedes appeared in the doorframe and shot the Handler with his own automatic. Everyone stared in shock as the dead woman fell to the ground. Lila rushed forward at the same moment Luther seemed to think the same thing.

"The case!" he shouted, only to be stopped by Diego.

The two fell to the floor, Luther lying on top of Diego. Lila grabbed the briefcase and disappeared. Rachel sighed heavily and looked down at the entangled males.

"That's it. I'm never turning off my powers again if all hell is going to break loose when I do!"

Turning, she moved closer to Five as he pointed his newly acquired gun at the Swede. They all watched, waiting for what he would do. After a moment, Five dropped the gun in his hand.

"Enough."

The Swede looked around at each of them. Rachel grabbed the edge of Five's blazer, similarly to how she had grabbed it when they first travelled through time together. As they waited, the Swede lowered his gun. Speaking in Swedish that only Five could understand, he seemed to agree. Dropping his gun, he walked away. Those in the barn seemed to release a collective breath. Rachel leaned her head on Five's shoulder from behind him.

"What the hell?" she sighed.

She was taken by surprise as Five turned, lifted her chin, and kissed her. Her eyebrows raised as he pulled away after a moment.

"I thought I lost you again," he whispered to her.

"What?" she asked, not understanding what he meant.

He did not take the time to clarify as his hands went to her neck, thumbs on her cheeks, and kissed her deeply. Not having kissed him with her powers off in a while, Rachel's stomach fluttered at the physical contact. With feelings not hitting her, she could really focus on every point where her body met Five's. The two pulled apart as Sissy began shouting from downstairs for Vanya.

"Oh, shit, I forgot about them," Rachel commented, turning her powers back on.

Vanya was the first to run off. The others followed her down the stairs. By the time they all congregated in the room below, Vanya had moved into the much smaller dome with the boy. He sat with his knees curled up to his chest.

"We just, we need to stop this," Vanya told him, putting her hands on his elbows.

Vanya's power seemed to circulate through her hands before she placed them on Harlan's knees. Lights glowed on the boy's face and it seemed as if the power from him drained back into Vanya. With a blue glow and a rush of energy outward, like a heavy wind, the dome dissipated. Harlan looked around, seemingly a bit confused, before his eyes landed on his mother. Sissy, radiating with relief, rushed over to her son and pulled him into a hug. While she rocked him in her arms, Vanya turned back to her family and smiled.

"Thank you," she told them.

As it was now very late in the day, Sissy, Harlan, and Vanya retreated back to the house. The rest of the Hargreeves were allowed to sleep in the barn for the night. Everyone chose their favored pile of hay on either the first or second floor of the barn, curling up with the blankets Sissy brought for them.

As the second floor had more space, most of the Hargreeves had chosen to sleep up there. Five and Rachel chose the smaller first floor. No one was interested in sharing the same floor as the couple, which suited Five just fine. After all, Rachel needed first aid. Sissy had provided medical supplies for them. Luckily, that included supplies for stitches in case of a farming injury. The two sat on the ground against the barn wall where they planned to sleep as Five organized the medical supplies.

When ready, Five untied Rachel's sling and set it aside before helping her peel off her jacket. She tugged off her sleeveless shirt so that Five could pull off the bandage. She groaned as they found blood on it.

"Wonderful," he murmured to her, as he examined the wound," Hmm…well…you just stretched the stitches a bit. It looks worse than it is. These can actually stay in."

He cleaned and bandaged up her gunshot wound before cleaning up her bloodied face. Once he was done with her and she was redressed, Rachel took her one-handed turn at helping him. For having a fireplace fall on him, Five came out of it rather well.

"So, are you going to explain how you almost lost me again?"

Five eyebrows twitched.

"I watched all of you die. The Handler killed all of us…Lila, too. Then the Swede came and killed her. Before he killed me, I used my power to go back a few seconds to before the Handler came in."

Rachel stared at Five in surprise.

"You listened to your father?"

Five grinned at her.

"Surprisingly, it was good advice."

Rachel finished tending to Five, so she sat beside him and snuggled up to him.

"He gave good advice about my power, too. I had Lila…she was writhing in pain and I could control it because I wanted to cause it…but…the more I did it the more I didn't want to. I don't want make people feel that way because of me. I mean…after she tossed me, I was ready to hurt her, but then she started talking about her parents…"

Five leaned over and kissed Rachel softly on her forehead.

"You've never been the kind of person to enjoy hurting others. Why do you think I took on killing more than you? I could distance myself better. You're…"

Rachel closed her eyes and leaned on Five's shoulder.

"Not cut out to be an assassin, huh?"

"No. And I'm sorry the only way back to 2019 meant making you one."

She placed her hand on Five's chest and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry you did, too. You're good at rationalizing and distancing yourself…but you hate killing. That makes a big difference, too. I really hope we're done with that part of our lives now. For both our sakes. Maybe we can move forward now."

The two curled up together to get some sleep before the Commission's hardest workers would start their shift and realize they had massive organizational reconstruction to deal with.


	42. Chapter 41

By six in the morning, Five, Rachel, and Diego were up and waiting on the front porch for Commission workers to arrive. Diego and Rachel were fairly confident about who would be arriving to deal with the mess. Rachel and Five sat on the top steps with Diego a stair below, his elbows leaning back on the porch step where they sat.

"We can bet money on it," Diego told Five.

Five rolled his eyes.

"I don't care who it is, Diego, so betting on it makes no sense. Rachel already agrees with you, so sure. It will be Dot and Herb."

Diego pouted, but Rachel gave him a friendly nudge with her knee.

"Are you okay? The girl you love vanished without a trace."

Diego shrugged.

"I have faith she'll turn up. At least her mom isn't there to control her anymore."

Five scoffed.

"Yeah, she may actually go crazy and come back to kill us some time."

Rachel elbowed Five, making him look over and mouth _What?_ at her.

It was at exactly half past six when Diego and Rachel's prediction came true. The three heaved themselves off the stairs and met Herb and Dot out on the field of dead Commission agents.

"Herb. Dot," Five greeted them first as they stepped around and dodged dead bodies.

The two smiled and greeted the group.

"Sup, Herbie?" Diego greeted, giving their special handshake.

"Hey! My man."

Rachel looked over at Five who clearly felt himself far more mature than his brother. Rachel reached out and shook Dot's hand, greeting her with a smile.

"All good?" Diego asked.

"Good to see you guys," Five told the two as the handshake still went on.

There was a moment of quiet before Herb sighed.

"I can't believe it. Is she…?" he waved his hand in front of his neck in a beheading motion.

"Really dead this time?" Five clarified.

"Oh, yeah," Diego and Rachel nodded together.

Herb breathed out in a silent whistle.

"Now that the Handler's gone, what happens at Commission?" Five asked.

Dot looked at Herb who started mouthing wordlessly. The group looked around at each other before looking at Herb.

"Just tell them," Dot encouraged.

"Eh-Well-we need to elect a new board of directors. But, until then, I, um…I've been voted in as acting chairperson."

The man beamed at them. Dot clapped her hands happily. Rachel rushed forward with a small squeal and gave him a one-handed congratulatory hug.

"That is so great! The Commission is in great hands for now, then!"

"No shit. Congrats, Herbie. That's huge," Diego stated while Five smiled at the news.

"I'm so goddamn nervous," Herb admitted.

"You'll do fine," Five encouraged.

"Oh, thank you."

Five took a quick breath before continuing.

"Herb, we need a favor."

"Oh, sure, anything," he insisted.

"A briefcase. To get back home, where we belong."

Herb gave them a finger gun before he and Dot turned, looking around the field strewn with bodies and abandoned briefcases. He shrugged.

"Take your pick."

Rachel let out a soft laugh.

"Well, thank you. We didn't want to be presumptuous."

Dot waved a hand at her.

"Oh, no, never!"

Five leaned down and picked up the nearest briefcase.

"Thank you, Herb, Dot," he told them, "It really means a lot to us."

Rachel hugged both of them goodbye.

"Sorry you guys have such a huge clean up job here," she noted," I wish I could help but…"

She waved at her arm.

"No worries!" Herb replied, "We're old hat at it now."

"And we'll stick around today to help you a bit," Diego added, tilting his head toward his brother.

Five grinned at his partner and handed her the briefcase.

"Take care of it alright?"

Rachel smirked and leaned close to him.

"Don't trust me?"

"Oh, no. I trust you with my life, that's why you have it in your hand right now."

He gave her a peck on the lips before he and Diego started helping Herb and Dot organize what to do with the bodies in the field.

Rachel headed back to the house alone. Everyone was doing their own thing. Allison drove back into town for the day to officially write a goodbye letter to Raymond. Luther tried to fix up the house as much as possible, despite it being a lost cause. Vanya was with Sissy and Harlan, talking about what they would do now. Klaus hung around by himself, moping a bit to Rachel's notice. When she found him, he was sitting in the destroyed living room on the floor in front of the couch. He was looking at the dog tags he got from his past, but future in this time, lover Dave.

The girl put the briefcase on the ground beside her before throwing an arm around Klaus in a side hug. He gave her a small laugh, hugging her back.

"Do I look so pathetic?" he questioned as she sat down beside him, putting the briefcase in front of her.

"No, but you sure feel lousy."

Klaus gave her a look and a half smile as she took his hand in hers. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I never got a chance to talk to you about Ben. It seems you two spent…a long time together. Are you doing okay without him being there?"

Klaus sighed and leaned his head against hers.

"Well…I certainly don't miss his snarky comments or him pushing me to not be myself."

He was quiet for a moment.

"But at the same time…I miss it a lot. I mean it's been…_years_…almost fifteen that he was tagging along with me being the only one who could see him...talk with him. Now I miss him and my heart aches for Dave!"

"This family sure does hold a lot of pain."

Klaus let out a small laugh.

"Right? But hey…if Ben hadn't helped Vanya…you might be dead, too. So…I guess everything is a bit bittersweet."

Rachel looked down at their intertwined fingers.

"Yeah…it is. But we both have you to thank. If you hadn't summoned him back, the Umbrella Academy would have less members. The world would be over two times over. We owe that much to you and Ben."

The male looked away, suddenly bashful.

"Aw, don't flatter me, too much. I might steal you from Five…"

"Ah, you already confessed to me this week."

"Wait…What?!"

Rachel waved it off.

"I'm joking. It's nothing."

Klaus stared at the girl hard before realization seemed to hit him.

"Oh my God. That sneaky bastard told you he used to like you."

The female's eyebrows lifted as she looked at him.

"You knew?"

"Not until this second. That little secret keeping snot…"

When she did not laugh, Klaus squeezed her hand. She was seemingly staring into space suddenly.

"Are you really bummed about the confession?" he questioned, "Is it just about Ben in general?"

Rachel shrugged, waking from her stupor.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. No to the confession. We talked it out. Yeah about being bummed by Ben…but…it's also everything you all built here that you have to walk away from. Vanya from Sissy. Allison from Raymond. Diego and Lila…but maybe she'll appear somewhere, I don't know. I just…I hate the idea of her dealing with all of this alone."

Her friend gave her an odd look. She glanced over at him and frowned.

"What?"

"You actually like her?"

Rachel opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She let out her breath in defeat.

"I guess she grew on me. She's misguided…but likable."

"You always were the type to bring strays home when you found them…"

"I only did that…like…"

"Ten."

"Four."

"Eight."

"_Six_ times."

The two looked at each other and laughed. It was true. Rachel had a way of picking up injured or stray animals as a child. After all, she could feel them if they were hurt or sad enough. Her mother became rather well-known at the nearest vet for that reason.

The two chatted together for a while, just keeping each other company to avoid the melancholy. Luther would come in and out and talk with them at times. Around late afternoon, Luther made them food with whatever Sissy said they could use. He whipped them up bacon, ham, and cheese sandwiches. Diego and Five came in around then and had their lunch as well. Five took the briefcase back as soon as he came in, making Rachel smile. Old habits die hard and Five always felt better when he had the briefcase on missions. Even with them done, she understood why he did not want to let this one go. It was their last chance to get back to 2019. Hopefully, back to some degree of their new normalcy. Moving on all together.

After lunch, Five and Rachel took a walk to a space across the road from Sissy's farm. Five said he wanted to be in a place that did not remind him of what occurred the day before. They easily found a grassy meadow in view of the house and road. The briefcase swung between them as they walked. In the meadow was a solitary oak tree where the two chose to sit for some shade. Unlike the strange snowfall the previous day, this was a sunny November day where a light jacket served well enough.

"So," Five noted, sitting down, "How is Klaus doing?"

Rachel smiled as she sat down.

"You were worried, huh?"

Five rolled his eyes.

"I know he'll be fine, but I know you can't stay away from someone struggling emotionally."

Rachel pinched the fabric of her sling and rang her fingers up and down the fabric.

"He'll be okay. In time. All of them will be, I hope. You and I…we're pretty lucky, comparatively."

Five was quiet as he stared out at the meadow.

"You wouldn't want a farmhouse, right?" he asked abruptly changing the subject, "I'm not really one for taking care of animals. Growing up in the city…I don't find myself interested in the countryside."

The girl raised an eyebrow at him. He seemed oddly nervous. Rachel turned her body toward him more.

"Wait, you seriously want to have this talk about settling down? Right now?"

Five shrugged.

"We have to at some point. We have an empty afternoon to ourselves. Why not?"

"Because you hate talking about the future and settling down. It clearly freaks you out."

Five reached out and pinched her cheek, far more gently than he ever had before.

"You ever consider that your powers are wrong every so often?"

Rachel laughed and playfully pushed his hand away.

"Not once."

With a grin, Five leaned forward and kissed her.

"Tell me," he said seriously, pulling away.

The girl looked back toward the farmhouse in the distance. Her nose scrunched up.

"Nah, I'm not a farmhouse woman. I'm thinking more like a suburban house…something with a nice-"

"White picket fence," Five commented.

Rachel looked at him in surprise. Five let out a laugh.

"Diego told me."

The girl grinned and shook her head.

"Of course. I can't believe he remembered that."

"I can't believe you thought he wouldn't. He hides it, but I'm positive he went through some childhood trauma from your disappearance."

Rachel could not disagree, not with the feelings she had picked up from him when she first arrived back in 2019. That was a conversation she was sure both Diego and she wanted to avoid. She was suddenly reminded of Ben as Five scratched at his leg through his sock.

"I completely forgot to mention…Ben confessed to me."

Five's eyes turned on her with surprise, his hand stopping its movement.

"Ben confessed…? Did you two kiss in the afterlife and you're only just telling me now?"

Rachel put up a hand.

"No! To clarify, he confessed that he _used_ to have feelings for me. He said when you die without saying everything you meant to in life…there are some things you just have to say when you get the chance."

Five looked down at the grass.

"Hm…I guess I can't blame him for that."

Rachel put a hand on Five's shoulder.

"Hey, he said it while in Klaus's body. It was really weird more than anything else. I mean, imagine if one of Klaus's cult members had seen him confessing an old crush, this thirty-year-old man, to a thirteen-year-old girl."

Five cringed at the mental image making her laugh.

"Then…when I talked to Ben before the light…we were both thirty. I didn't even know who he was. But…he is really happy for us, Five. He said it was unexpected that we would love each other, but he is glad it happened. Ben was always pretty great…"

Five looked into Rachel's eyes.

"He was…I miss him," he said, sincerely.

The two watched each other for a few quiet moments before Five cleared his throat.

"Anyway, we were…talking about houses. Suburban house with a white picket fence. Got it. I was actually thinking a dog instead of cat. What do you think?"

The girl beamed at him.

"Oh, I love dogs! I'll take that!"

"Figured," Five smirked, shaking his head slightly.

Five moved closer to Rachel and kissed her. Rachel sensed fear as Five's hand tightened around her right arm. Placing a hand on his face, she pulled away.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He moved in to kiss her again, but Rachel's thumb covered his chin, keeping him from reaching her with just a little added pressure to her arm.

"_Five_."

The male sighed at her tone. Breathing out shakily, he closed his eyes.

"I can't get this image of you…dead in a pool of blood…out of my head. You were gone so quickly. All of you were. And I know you are here, and I changed things so that it is okay but…I keep seeing your lifeless body. I never want to experience that again."

Rachel caressed her partner's face.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You made it so I'm here, though. All of us are. You're amazing…"

Five opened his eyes. Her green ones looked back at him, beautiful and full of life, and he smiled. He could feel the warmth of her hands on his face. He carefully brought her into his arms.

"I'll do anything to never see that image again. I love you, Rach."

Rachel filled him with the warmth of her happiness and love, comforting him.

"I love you, too."

The two spent the rest of their day together quietly sitting by the tree. Sometimes they would chat, sometimes they would cuddle together just enjoying the peacefulness, the stillness. As the sun began to set, Rachel pulled herself away from Five and got up from their spot.

"Time to head back. We have a family to bring back to 2019."

She reached her good hand out to Five, who took it. Instead of getting up, though, he tugged her back toward him.

"One more thing before we go."

Five moved up to a kneeling position and kissed her hand. Rachel smiled at how, for someone so unprincelike in personality, Five certainly posed like one in the moment. She laughed as he grinned up at her.

"What are you doing, old man? Your siblings are waiting."

"_Our _siblings are waiting," he corrected.

The smile Rachel wore slipped as Five took the hand that was resting against her abdomen from being in a sling and slid a simple gold band onto her ring finger. Her eyebrows shot up.

"Wait…wh-what? When did you-?"

She could sense how pleased Five was from catching her off guard.

"You said you'd marry me, but…I figured I should officially do this. After I heard from Hazel that you died…I went out and got this before you arrived in 1963. I hung on to it, hoping for a moment where we weren't worried about the world ending or us dying. Then…seeing you lying in the barn…I felt like I had made a huge mistake in waiting. So, I'm giving this to you now. I know it isn't an engagement ring, but we've never done anything in a proper order. So, someday, maybe you can choose one. For now, though…I hope you'll accept this and…maybe more officially feel like a part of this messed up, crazy Hargreeves family."

Rachel's gaze flickered between the ring and Five's face, barely registering what was happening at first. Five's grin faltered as tears started streaming down her face.

"Really? You really want to give me this?"

Five was taken aback.

"I wouldn't have given it to you if I didn't."

The girl let out a laugh, comforted by Five's typical abrupt response. His eyes widened in shock as she flung herself at him, sending them both into the grass.

"RACHEL! You're injured! What the hell…"

"I don't care! Yes, I want to marry you, still! Ow, okay, maybe I care more than I thought… Ouch…"

Five rolled her over so that she was lying on her back in the grass. He gave her an exasperated look, but she knew he was also happy with her response.

"You've always been a trouble magnet," Five told her before leaning down and kissing her.

Their kisses went on for a few minutes before they heard a car horn honk at them from the road. Rachel laughed as Five looked behind him. She already knew it was Allison. Their sister shouted from the car.

"Excuse me but we should be getting ready to leave, not getting busy in the grass!"

Five stood up, pulling Rachel up to stand as well.

"Can I just propose to my girlfriend in peace?"

Rachel grinned, amused by how proud of himself he was. Allison took a moment to register what he said before the car with roughly adjusted to park. Excitement ran through her as she threw open the car door and rushed the two of them in a hug.

"Congratulations! Oh, wow…that is so great! Really weird if you think about it, but so great!"

It was weird. They had grown old together in a love triangle including a mannequin, only for Rachel to now wear a wedding band instead of an engagement ring while they looked like teenagers. But if the weirdness meant she was with the Hargreeves family, it did not matter to Rachel. Allison ushered them into the car, Five making sure to grab the briefcase again. Once they got back to the farmhouse, Allison was happy to announce the news to all her siblings as they gathered in the living room. Sissy and Harlan had taken off earlier that day, so it was just the family left. The guys were sure to give Five a ribbing about "finally" proposing while the girls were just happy for Rachel. After their small celebration was done, to Five's great relief, they all headed to the front of the house as dusk set in. They all circled up, ready to go home.

"Everyone ready?" Five asked.

"Let's do it, yeah," Luther responded.

Allison and Rachel both looked at Vanya, who was glancing back at the farmhouse, her feelings conflicted. She looked back at them with sadness as they all took each other's hands. Rachel temporarily took her arm out of the sling so she could put a hand on Five's elbow as he tinkered with the briefcase. Her other hand was in Allison's, who squeezed both her and Vanya's hands. Klaus called out to them suddenly.

"Wait!"

He hesitated for a moment before running over and grabbing a cowboy hat that was resting on the farmhouse porch.

"Fifty bucks if we leave him here," Diego quietly said to Five.

Rachel just grinned as Klaus ran back, taking Luther's hand and reaching out to Vanya. As they all tightened the circle around Five, he activated the briefcase. The usual light engulfed them before they were staggering back from each other with a table in the middle of them.

"Oh, good God," Luther complained, holding his head and stomach.

Everyone but Five and Rachel was struggling to feel normal after travelling through time again. Five looked over at Rachel first, making sure she was there. She smiled at him before slipping her arm back into the sling. Looking around, they were back in the Umbrella Academy's foyer that was fully intact.

"Wh…What day is it?" Luther asked.

"April 2, 2019," Five read from a newspaper that was on the table, "Day after the apocalypse."

"Wait, so we stopped it," Allison noted.

"My God, it's over?" Vanya asked.

Rachel, getting over the shock of arriving in the new time, glanced behind her into the sitting room. She could feel other people in the house. She stepped carefully toward the room, glancing around. She heard laughter from behind her as the others followed, Five tagging along faster than the others with his hands in his pockets after leaving the briefcase on the table. As she stepped inside the sitting room, Rachel looked toward a figure in an armchair by the fireplace. It was familiar but should not be possible in the timeline they left.

"Guys…" she said, her voice rasping from concern.

They did not hear her as they were distracted.

"Why is there a painting of Ben over the mantelpiece?" Diego asked from behind her.

The figure in the chair rose and faced them.

"I knew you'd show up eventually," Reginald Hargreeves said to them.

Rachel backed away behind Diego, Five reaching out from behind her and taking her hand in his.

"Dad," the knife thrower said softly.

"You're alive," Luther gasped out.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Reginald asked, hands in his suit pockets.

Luther backtracked.

"Yeah…Y-Yeah, you're right. I'm…I'm just happy that we're home and…together again."

Reginald furrowed his brows.

"'Home'? This isn't your home."

Allison frowned.

"What are you talking about? This is the Umbrella Academy."

"Wrong again. This is the Sparrow Academy."

Rachel turned behind the group to look up to the second floor. Above them was a shadowed group of individuals and, oddly, a floating green cube. Another person walked in from the other side of the room on the floor they were on. Rachel's breath caught in her chest. While the person in front of her was familiar visually, as she had only seen him once before the light, the aura radiating from him was not the same the person she knew.

"Dad, who the hell are these assholes?" he asked.

A rugged looking Ben stood before them in a maroon blazer uniform almost identical to Five's.

"Shit," the Umbrella Academy cursed, realizing something was seriously wrong.


End file.
